All the dynasties always come to an end. The Warriors could’ve hoped that their time would come when the big three- Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson retired as members of the Dubs. However, that didn’t happen, instead, Thompson has found a new home with the Dallas Mavericks. This disagreement over a contract extension and the exit of such a big name has left Joe Lacob’s squad worried. Who will match the shooting guard’s prowess on the court?

The Warriors have a long season ahead. With some confirmed names and some unconfirmed ones on their roster, Lacob & Co. must step up their strategies to fill the void, their ex-forward will be leaving behind. Moreover, some new additions like De’Anthony Melton could prove fruitful for the team.

But to understand the Math behind picking players from the market, a lot of permutations and combinations are required. One major factor is the yearly salary cap. Therefore, let’s see what was the salary cap for Joe Lacob’s Golden State Warriors.

Understanding the 2024-25 salary cap of the Warriors ahead of the preseason kick-off

The Golden State Warriors are currently facing significant salary cap and luxury tax challenges for the 2024-25 NBA season. Joe Lacob & Co. is $36M over the $140.5 million salary cap and $5.7 million over the $170.8 million luxury tax threshold. Despite shedding Klay Thompson’s contract, the Warriors are paying about $106 million for the core trio of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins. Their total salary stands at $177.7 million, leaving them just $534,704 below the hard cap, which restricts further moves. Well, as you can guess, these cap constraints are causing some trouble for the Dubs. So, what are they?

Thanks to the constraints, the Warriors are unable to fill their 15th roster spot until later in the season. This is leaving them with a 14-man roster and three two-way contracts. However, the odds haven’t stopped the Dubs from making notable signings during the off-season. With names like De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield, specks of hope for the uprising of the Warriors dynasty seem slightly brighter. Meanwhile, the team remains actively pursuing a trade for Utah Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen, which could reshape the roster and relieve some financial strain.

With just $4.7M left in Bi-Annual Exceptions, the Warriors have limited flexibility for adding players. Therefore, the front office led by GM Mike Dunleavy, and CEO Joe Lacob are hoping for some big trades. This could help the team in improving their roster thus filling in for the Klay Thompson-less team. A successful trade could not only appease fans but also help alleviate the Warriors’ hefty cap sheet.

As you can see, Thompson’s exit from the Warriors has exposed their financial hardships. But, the problem with keeping the 5x NBA All-Star would be his dropping performance. He wasn’t helping Curry in bringing the team anywhere close to winning, the games let alone winning the championship. While there were no on-court results, the Warriors were footing a hefty bill to maintain the core of the past dynasty. All this was happening while trying to complement them on the roster and build a competitive club. Thus, despite being presented with a two-year contract for $48 million, the 34YO hooper refused and chose to find his way to the Dallas Mavericks.

It looked like, nothing could stop Klay Thompson from breaking all ties with the Warriors. He seemed considerably hurt, not having played in the starting position. Therefore, Mavs looked like the best option to redeem his ‘lost’ respect. And surely, the Dallas team would do everything in their power to give Thompson the luxury of opening the games, as we’re used to watching him.

Draymond Green revealed Thompson favored the Warriors by joining the Mavericks

The golden trio of the Golden State Warriors: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson will be missed from now on. By, leaving the Dubs after 13 years, Klay has done the team some favor, that’s what the 34YO Green, who has been with the Warriors since 2012. “What Klay just did—and nobody will give him credit for—is he just relieved this organization of the financial hardships it was starting to face,” Draymond revealed in the Club 520 Podcast. He added: “He still did it for the organization, but nobody will say that. Nobody will say him leaving was because he was unhappy, which, again, he wasn’t the happiest last year.”

Well, it seems, that even during his last stint, Klay Thompson thought about the Warriors. The NBA superstar’s declining impact on the 73-win team led to his eventual exit. It’s understandable why Thompson’s production and happiness declined in recent seasons. As you can guess, the team needed to make a decision, even though it wasn’t easy. And thus a two-year, $48 million contract showed up, which Klay refused. “He [Thompson] provided cap relief for this organization on his way out. You know what I’m saying? He got some picks sent back to the organization on his way out,” Green concluded.

Thirteen years isn’t a short period to let go such easily. However, when tough situations emerge, someone or the other must cave in. This is exactly, what happened in the case of the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson. The Dubs made some great signings in this off-season. But, would they be the true replacement for their legend? No. Klay Thompson has left behind a legacy at the Warriors that cannot be recreated, even if records can be broken.

Thus, leaving the Warriors’ umbrella, Thompson is now one of the Mavericks. Within no time, he will be on the court with all eyes on him. Can Klay recreate the same magic in Dallas? We’ll find out soon.