Klay Thompson’s Agent Says He’s The “Best Two-Way, Two-Guard In Basketball”

While some have criticized the Golden State Warriors for failing to offer up young shooting guard Klay Thompson in order to snag Kevin Love in a trade this summer, others believe it was in the best interests of their team moving forward. Now Thompson’s agent, Bill Duffy — getting a head start on a max extension he’s seeking for Klay before the Oct. 31 deadline — has declared Klay the “best two-way, two-guard in basketball.”

Duffy spoke with USA Today‘s Sam Amick during his profile of Klay after Thompson’s superb performance during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. While conceding his statement might piss off Kobe Bryant — Duffy believes Thompson is the best shooting guard in the game today:

“I don’t want (Los Angeles Lakers star) Kobe Bryant to go crazy, but there’s some uncertainty as to who he is right now (because of injuries that limited him to six games last season),” Duffy told USA TODAY Sports. “But I think Klay Thompson right now is the top two-way, two-guard in basketball. I think when you look at his body of work, when you look at what he accomplished guarding point guards on a regular basis (last season), I think it’s pretty clear.”

Former Blazers and Lakers player Mychal Thompson, who is Klay’s father and long-time commentator for the Lakers, concurs and says he’d be surprised if the Dubs brass breaks up a back-court featuring Klay and Stephen Curry.

“I’ve been telling him (he’s the best two-way shooting guard) for a couple of years now,” said Mychal Thompson, who has the unique distinction of being on both sides of the argument as Klay’s father and an ex-Laker and longtime commentator for Bryant’s team. “Everybody knows that he can score, but I always told him I’m so proud of how he takes so much pride in defense as he does with scoring.

“That backcourt is special. You don’t break that up. He and Steph, they are a great combination, like Laurel and Hardy, Abbott & Costello, Sanford & Son. They’re perfect together. … I expect them to be together another 10 years. I’d be shocked if they’re not.

The craziest part of Duffy’s comment is he might actually be right. Thompson is an elite shooter and one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. With his 6-7 length and quick feet, he can bang with some small forwards while also denying opposing guards daylight to get off a shot.

While James Harden might be the best offensive player at the shooting guard position, and Dwyane Wade — when healthy — can still be considered one of the elite players at the off-guard position, Klay might be the best on both sides of the ball.

Harden might feel he’s the best overall player in the NBA, but his defense leaves a lot of fans and analysts wanting, and Klay continues to improve after an excellent World Cup providing a ton of confidence heading into the 2014-15 season.

Whether the Warriors want to lock Thompson up for the next half decade with a long-term max extension, remains to be seen. Duffy’s comments might seem — on the surface — to be contract negotiation hubris, there’s a small measure of truth to the proclamation.