As a decision on his NBA future looms, Klay Thompson will join the Bahamian national basketball team for its training camp in Houston this week, sources briefed on the situation told The Athletic. However, he is not expected to get clearance and compete for the Bahamas in the Olympic qualifier this summer, those sources said.
Thompson, who won a gold medal with Team USA in 2016, would need to receive an official release from USA Basketball and approval from FIBA in order to be cleared to play in the Olympic qualifiers and further competition for Team Bahamas, which isn’t expected to happen.
The timing is also tricky. The Bahamian national team is flying to Greece for two exhibition games against Montenegro on June 25 and Greece (and possibly Giannis Antetokounmpo) on June 27, followed by the Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain beginning July 2.
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That, of course, is in the heart of NBA free agency, which officially begins June 30. Thompson is one of the most high-profile names on the market and his future with the Golden State Warriors remains unsettled. For the first time in Thompson’s career, he has shown an appetite to explore external options. There remains mutual interest between Thompson and the Orlando Magic, according to league sources. The Warriors have made clear they want to bring Thompson back at the right price and in the right role.
Klay Thompson intends to test free agency, per @ShamsCharania.
“Thompson is open to all external options in free agency coming up.”
🎥 @RunItBackFDTV pic.twitter.com/NVF5WvUp6f
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 17, 2024
But even Thompson’s presence at training camp is expected to be a symbolic moment at a signature time in the history of Bahamian basketball. It won its way to this stage last summer in Argentina, upsetting the host country behind big performances from Eric Gordon, Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton.
Thompson, whose father (former NBA player Mychal Thompson) was born in the Bahamas, watched and supported from afar. Additionally, Anta — the sporting goods company that sponsors Thompson — will sponsor the Bahamian team and will also provide gear.
Gordon, Hield and Ayton are expected to compete again this summer. It’s possible Kai Jones, another NBA player and former first-round pick, joins the team. The Bahamians also have a pipeline of young talent. V.J. Edgecombe, a projected 2025 lottery pick, will be at training camp. So will AJ Storr, a guard at Wisconsin, and Donavan Freeman, a top prospect attending Syracuse next fall.
This is a program built and operated by head coach Chris DeMarco, a longtime Warriors assistant coach who is close to Thompson, and LJ Rose, an executive with the Houston Rockets who serves as the director of operations. Thompson’s brother, Mychel, is part of the coaching staff.
The Bahamians begin Olympic qualifying play against Finland and Poland on July 2 and 3. It’s a six-team bracket with Spain, Angola and Lebanon composing the other pod. The winner of the six-team pool makes the Olympics.
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(Photo: Alex Goodlett / Getty Images)
