Stephen A. Smith has apparently been hearing a lot about Pat Riley lately.
A few weeks after the ESPN commentator said that Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is wooing Riley to run her franchise’s basketball operations, Smith said that Riley, among others, has told executives with the Golden State Warriors to keep Klay Thompson.
Both Thompson and Kevin Durant will be free agents this summer. Smith said that Thompson is upset with his reduced offensive role. Durant is widely expected to sign with the New York Knicks, and Smith said that the Warriors “anticipate” the defending two-time Finals MVP will leave Oakland in July.