"I’m just trying to find a wholesome lady out there": When Klay Thompson rejected models to find someone to spend time with his dog Rocco

Over his 12-year NBA career, Klay Thompson has been linked to several models. It wouldn't come as a surprise if Thompson were dating a model, however, it seems there were some standards that the four-time champion had set. One of them was about his dog, Rocco.

A few years ago, there were rumors about Klay Thompson dating model Abigail Ratchford. Ratchford is a famous model in the United States with an active social media presence and 9.2 million followers on Instagram.

But Thompson quashed those rumors during an appearance on the radio show 95.7 The Game back in 2017:

"He’s great. Living the life. About to take him to the park later — get some sun, have some fun. With Rocco? Oh, no no no no no. [I’m] just being good. I’m just trying to find a wholesome lady out there. That’d be nice."

Klay Thompson, who has his sights set on another title run with the Golden State Warriors this season, is entering a contract year.

Golden State Warriors have no intention to let Klay Thompson go

Klay Thompson enters the final year of his current deal with the Golden State Warriors and is set to earn $43.2 million next season. Extension talks between the two sides remain ongoing, but there is no agreement in place at the moment.

NBA insider Anthony Slater reports:

"There isn’t a rush from either side, and there isn’t a deadline. It could theoretically be done in-season, though I’d expect serious discussions to come before that."

Klay Thompson's status is one of the issues the Warriors will be dealing with this season, but the franchise has no intention to let one of the cornerstone players leave that easy.

Warriors owner Joe Lacon recently told Tim Kawakami of the Athletic:

"We've had some very brief discussions at this point with his agent. But they're very, very early. I fully expect that we'll have some substantial discussions soon sometime and we'll see if we can't put something together that allows Klay to be here for a long time, which we clearly would like him to be."

GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. told the media on Tuesday:

"On both sides, there’s a desire to extend or be back, to make sure those guys are with the Golden State Warriors moving forward. Both sides feel that way and when you’re working off of that idea, you can come to a deal."

It is unclear what offer the Warriors will make to Thompson, who averaged 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season, shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. However, they will do their best to keep their core together, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green currently under long-term contracts.

Meanwhile, Golden State will also discuss a new deal with coach Steve Kerr, who is on an expiring contract, just like Thompson.