“We require Klay’s return…” “I know I speak for everybody in the organization,” Steve Kerr stated following the elimination of the Warriors. He must return. We really need Klay back, and there’s obviously some business that needs resolving with his representation.

Kerr might not get his wish, it seems.

Anthony Slater of The Athletic says that as the NBA offseason gets underway in June, Klay Thompson is reportedly heading toward free agency and the Warriors have not made any progress toward an agreement.

Once more details of their roster retool are known, the Warriors still want to keep Thompson if the price is right. However, they have not exactly been pressuring him to finalize the terms of an extension (which can be signed whenever convenient). Meanwhile, Thompson, who is 34 years old, is prepared to dip his toes into free agency waters, investigating outside possibilities for the first time throughout his career.

Slater points out that Thompson isn’t looking to pursue money in free agency; rather, he wants to join a winning club. Thompson is sure to have plenty of suitors. It has long been speculated that Orlando is interested, but other teams like Philadelphia and Oklahoma City, which have cap room and are seeking veteran depth for short-term success, might also be involved.Before deciding whether to extend or re-sign Thompson, Golden State has roster concerns it would like to resolve. Since Stephe Curry is no longer able to carry the load, the Warriors are in need of a second shot creator; Thompson was once that player, but he is no longer at the All-NBA level. Thompson is still useful; he scored 17.9 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting from outside the arc this season, but he was inconsistent, and he wasn’t nearly as good as he once was in terms of both scoring and defense. The Warriors don’t suffer a major setback when Thompson isn’t playing because of the rising stars Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody.

Still, seeing Thompson in any uniform, much alone the Curry Warriors without him, would be strange.

Naturally, the issue boils down to financial considerations. In an effort to align themselves with Draymond Green’s recent four-year, $100 million extension, the Warriors may be interested in a shorter deal. Would it take Thompson around $65 million and three years? Could a club like Orlando accept that offer without hesitation?

This summer in the Bay Area is going to be full of surprises, one of which is that Thompson may decide to go.