The San Antonio Spurs released forward Jeremy Sochan on Wednesday, opening a roster spot for the Western Conference contending franchise.
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In the opinion of Sports Illustrated’s Joey Akeley, the Spurs should add a 6-foot-5 former Golden State Warriors superstar to help Victor Wembanyama.
“The Spurs are in the bottom 10 in three-point percentage, so they should have interest in Thompson if they buy him,” Akeley wrote Thursday. “Although Thompson is under contract for $17.5 million next season, I bet he would be willing to give up a good chunk of that amount to join a contender.”
In his prime, Thompson wreaked havoc with the Golden State Warriors alongside Stephen Curry. With his lightning-fast one-motion release and ability to successfully utilize off-ball screens, Thompson quickly emerged as one of the NBA’s best 3-point specialists.
The 2014-15 season was Thompson’s breakout campaign with the Dubs, as he averaged 21.7 points on 46.3% shooting from the field and 43.9% shooting from three-point range on a Warriors team that capped the year with a championship.
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Thompson’s prolific three-point shooting and underrated on-ball defense helped Golden State win three additional titles during his 13 years in the organization. While he’s no longer a superstar, Thompson is still a valuable floor spacer who isn’t a complete defensive liability.
The four-time NBA champion averages 11.6 points per game and made 38.6% of his field goals and 37.6% of his three-pointers with the Dallas Mavericks this season.
Thompson would certainly be a championship-caliber addition for a Spurs team seeking its first title since 2014.
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