Klay Thompson intends to take some time off to unwind and contemplate the season before pondering his next moves as a free agent.

Struggling to contain his emotions after a challenging night, Klay Thompson glanced up to the highest seats of Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center and spotted a lone fan still wearing his No. 11 jersey.

This sight held significant meaning for him, serving as a cherished memory as he prepares to enter the offseason. Despite his difficult performance, where he missed all 10 shots in a 118-94 loss against Sacramento in the play-in tournament on Tuesday, Thompson found solace in this gesture. The loss marked the end of the Warriors’ season, leaving them without a playoff spot.

The question of where he’ll play next season looms large for Thompson and the Golden State team. “Of course, you want to keep winning. When you’ve been part of winning teams, you don’t want that to change. So, I want to keep winning. Another championship would be nice,” he expressed, alluding to the desire for another championship ring to adorn each finger of one hand. “I still believe it’s possible. It’ll just take a big effort. But aside from that, I need to think about what will truly make me happy in the last few years of my career.”

For the time being, Thompson feels the need to take some time to unwind. The season has been arduous, marked by fluctuations in his role within the starting lineup. He emphasized the importance of supporting the team through both victories and defeats, a lesson learned throughout the season.

“I did look up at the upper seats and saw someone wearing my number 11 jersey. That made me happy, especially with my history in Sacramento, from winning a state championship there to playing against the Kings in the playoffs,” Thompson shared on Tuesday.

At that moment, the looming question was whether he’d still don the No. 11 jersey in the next season.

“That was kind of a full circle moment for me. So, seeing that Warriors fan standing alone in the 300 level representing 11 made me grateful.” Thompson is adamant about his desire to continue winning and has his sights set on securing a fifth championship before retiring.

“When you’re not performing as well as you’d like, you might feel down or frustrated,” he remarked. “I think I handled that better this year, focusing on having positive body language and remembering why I love this game.”

Thompson has frequently expressed his wish to remain with the Golden State Warriors for his entire career. Earlier this year, he stated, “I’d like to be a Warrior forever.” However, he acknowledges the need to consider other possibilities.

“I haven’t given much thought to the distant future because I still need to process the ups and downs of this past year,” he admitted. “But ultimately, both personally and as a team, we gave it our all to win as many games as possible.”

Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and the rest of the Warriors are hopeful that Thompson will stay with the team as they continue their pursuit of championships. They are hopeful that this wasn’t his final game with them.

Thompson refrained from making any definitive statements about the future just yet, still feeling disappointed about the season ending sooner than anticipated. Additionally, missing all six of his 3-point attempts was tough for coach Steve Kerr to witness.

“I have a lot of love for Klay, considering what he’s meant to me over the past 10 years,” Kerr said. “I’ve seen him battle through injuries in the last couple of years, and I’ve seen him turn his season around with his mindset. In the second half of the season, he seemed to enjoy playing more freely and with more joy.”

Thompson, who is 34 years old, will become a free agent in July when his five-year contract worth nearly $190 million expires.

“He’s been here his entire career,” teammate Kevon Looney said on Wednesday. “When you think about the Warriors, you think of Steph, Klay, and Draymond. It would be strange to see him in another team’s jersey or competing for another team. But in the NBA, players switch teams more often than they stay with one team. It’s hard for me to imagine that.”

Thompson is proud of his successful comeback after missing more than 2 1/2 years due to surgeries on his left knee and right Achilles. He is determined to continue playing and proving doubters wrong. “When the time comes, I’m not trying to set an end date for my career,” Thompson said. “That’s something you just feel out.”