Klay Thompson’s recent all-time starting five answer had a distinctly purple-and-gold feel to it.
When asked to build his best five, Thompson went with Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry. The Lakers footprint is impossible to miss: O’Neal, James and Bryant all made the cut, giving the list plenty of star power from Los Angeles.
The Curry pick stands out as the one that could trigger the most debate. Thompson won four NBA titles playing next to Curry with the Golden State Warriors, so that choice makes sense from his perspective. And for a newer generation of players and fans, Curry is becoming a more common answer in these kinds of conversations.
The rest of Thompson’s group is about as safe as it gets. Bryant, James, Duncan and O’Neal are names that show up on plenty of all-time starting five lists.
Thompson’s answer comes as his own future remains unsettled with the Dallas Mavericks. In the same interview with PlaqueBoyMax, he said he wants to play for a title contender, which would not be the case with Cooper Flagg and company during the 2026-27 campaign.
That has only added fuel to the idea that Thompson may be on his way out of Dallas. A trade or buyout situation appears to be on the table, and the Mavericks have reportedly been more interested in moving the veteran shooter, who has drawn interest from teams including the Lakers and Miami Heat.
His father, two-time NBA champion Mychal Thompson, is also openly pushing for a Lakers reunion. “I’m TRYING…😡” he said while continuing to try to lure Klay to Los Angeles.
The Lakers have had a wild week of their own after team owner Mark Walter, who bought the team 14 months ago, flipped the franchise to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner for a record-setting $12.5 billion. That surprising ownership change pushed everything else to the side, including the team’s pursuits of Jonathan Kuminga and Klay Thompson.
Now that the dust is settling, the Lakers may be able to turn back to business. And with Thompson’s future still hanging in the balance, it looks increasingly likely he’ll be wearing a different uniform next season, whether that ends up being in Los Angeles or somewhere else.
In Other News...
Lakers Still Have One Big Center Problem After Walker Kessler Trade
The Lakers made a major swing for Walker Kessler, sending multiple future first-round picks to Utah in a move that should give them a young, defensive anchor in the middle. They also sent Deandre Ayton to Washington and brought in veteran Kevon Looney on a one-year deal, reshaping the center rotation in a hurry and signaling that the front office wanted a different look after the trade.
Even with those changes, the depth chart still has a familiar soft spot. Los Angeles has not added another true backup center, and the lack of attractive trade pieces makes upgrading that spot harder than it sounds. Looney is the name most likely to fill the role for now, but the Lakers are still carrying a real question behind Kessler, and it is the kind of roster issue that can linger long after the headline move fades. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Ownership Change Could Upend The Plan Around Luka Doncic
The Lakers are heading into a period of uncertainty after a major ownership shift, with the franchise set to move from Mark Walter to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. Walters run brought sweeping front office and roster changes, along with a strategy that borrowed heavily from the Dodgers model of organization and player building, so this is not a minor handoff of the keys but a potential reset of how the team does business.
What comes next matters because the Lakers have already been operating with a clear identity under Walter, and there is no guarantee the new group will want to keep that same blueprint intact. For a team trying to plan around Luka Doncic, the bigger question is whether any change in direction will be smooth enough to keep the long-term picture stable, or sharp enough to force new uncertainty around his future decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Roster Crunch Could Force A Tough Move For Frontcourt Help
The Lakers are running into the kind of roster squeeze that can turn even routine frontcourt shopping into a complicated balancing act. With one player over the limit, the front office has to clear space before making any meaningful move, and that means decisions around names like Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy or Bronny James could come into play as the team tries to sort out its depth chart.
What makes it more interesting is the fit the Lakers are chasing. Backup center remains a clear need, and the team has already looked at a few different options as it tries to bolster the middle without losing flexibility elsewhere. One scenario on the table would fold that search into a larger three-team arrangement, giving Los Angeles a path to address both the roster crunch and its frontcourt depth in one shot, but the details still have to line up before anything becomes official. [Read more 🡒]