Warriors Owner Wants Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson With Team 'Forever'

Joe Lacob made his intentions clear ahead of Klay Thompson's impending free agency this summer.

Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob wants to keep Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson with the organization for the entirety of their NBA careers, Lacob told ESPN on Friday.

Lacob emphasized his desire to ensure that the two stars never leave the team following the Warriors' 118–113 series-clinching Game 6 win over the Houston Rockets. Curry and Thompson combined for 60 points in that outing to lead the Warriors to their fifth straight Western Conference finals appearance.

"Obviously, my intention is to keep them as part of our organization forever," Lacob said. "That's our goal. We'll see what happens."

Thompson is set to become a free agent at the season's end and is expected to earn a maximum contract. While NBA protocol forbids him to publicly state whether or not he will give Thompson a full max extension, Lacob made it clear he hopes to keep Thompson with Golden State.

"I have a special bond with him. I always have," Lacob said of his relationship with Thompson. "He's the first player, since I bought the team, that we drafted. The very first one. And I just have always felt an incredible attachment. People make fun of me a little bit—I always say I love Klay. I love Klay. I just do. He's so real. He's so real. There's no B.S. And there's something about him, I have a very special relationship with him."

The Warriors will face either the Trail Blazers or the Nuggets in this year's Western Conference finals for a chance to play in their fifth-straight NBA Finals.