Klay Thompson Cutting Ties With Warriors Left ex-NBA Champ Heartbroken: “Super Unfortunate for The League”

“It s**ks.” This is what Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry had to say as his teammate for 13 years Klay Thompson left for the Dallas Mavericks. Indeed, it does, for the players and the fans alike. And why not? Look at the legacy the two have built together.

Curry and Thompson have been together since 2011. Apart from the same jersey, they shared the same enviable skill: shooting from a distance. That made them a formidable force together on the court. They are the only teammates to combine for more than 600 3-pointers in a season (678 in 2015-16) and took turns competing with each other for 3-point feats. In 2018, Thompson pulled off 14 from deep to beat Curry’s single-game record by one. He has been Curry’s backcourt partner for the Warriors’ four title runs between 2015 and 2022.

Curry had never thought this partnership would break. And he did not hesitate to state that naive wish. “It’s one of those hard things to kind of process just because I never imagined this would kind of be the reality. I always wanted to ride out in the sunset with those two guys and have an opportunity to stay relevant from a winning perspective while we did it,” Curry had said in July. He can rest assured, one former NBA champion is in the same boat with him in that thought.

On the Knuckleheads Podcast, 2004 NBA champion from the Detroit Pistons, Tayshaun Prince weighed in on Klay‘s exit. The disappointed former small forward said, “But you hate to see that happen, right? … You want to see those dudes retire in the Golden State. …But Steph and Klay have done up for the game, you know, Dray. And to see those guys to break up man is super unfortunate for the league!” Prince also hinted at a feud between Thompson and the Warriors over his contract.

“It sounds like they offered him something. He was disappointed in that offer. So he shut it down. Just wanted to focus on basketball and just hoop and all rumbling about how they can’t come to the contract, whatever the case may be,” Prince noted.

According to reports from NBC Sports, Thompson was seeking a three-year contract, but the Warriors were only willing to offer a two-year, $48 million deal. This difference in expectations may have contributed to Thompson’s decision to leave, ultimately signing with the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million deal. But Prince thinks Thompson was alone in taking the call.

Prince speculated that Klay’s decision likely involved discussions with key figures from the Warriors dynasty—Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr—before he made his final choice. “I’m sure Klay, Steph, Dray, coach Kerr, together since that thing was over, probably had that conversation. …they probably heard Klay, probably heard them, and then made a decision whatever was best.” As things stand, Prince is not much wrong.

Among the big 3 of the Warriors, Thompson, Curry, and Draymond Green, the last are not known to have thought of changing the jersey ever. But the signs were not good for Thompson. After missing two seasons with serious leg injuries, Thompson struggled with his form at both ends after returning in 2021.

Amid that, the team refused to extend his contract two summers ago. That started the speculation of a departure. To make matters worse, he was dropped from the starting lineup during the 2023-24 season. The conversation got more air after that. Thompson was evidently frustrated with his stint with the Warriors and his future.

“It’s kind of been a year-and-a-half-long process where understanding where Klay was with the decision that was in front of him, where the team was at in terms of the extension offer. The negotiations that were going on, I knew most of the updates that were happening and wanted to make sure Klay had the right support in terms of making the decision that was best for him,” Curry had revealed. Undoubtedly, Curry wanted Thompson to stay. But he got over that ‘selfishness’ in the best interest of his longtime aid.

In fact, as reported by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater in July, Thompson spoke to Curry and requested him not to pursue the Warriors front office into re-signing Thompson. “It’s been a layered five-year path to this divorce, splintering last season, sprouting earlier and finalizing in the last couple weeks, where —among the conversations Thompson had, league sources said — was a request of Stephen Curry not to exert his significant organizational influence and up the temperature with management to ensure Thompson’s return,” Slater wrote. So did Curry obey that?

“Doesn’t mean I listened,” Curry had said. However, all that did not change Thompson’s mind. But will this shift do any good to Thompson and the Mavericks?

Thompson’s Mavericks move might be a win-win for both

According to reports, Thompson’s father, Los Angeles Lakers player-turned-broadcaster Mychal Thompson was disappointed that his son chose Mavericks over the Lakers. But as Thomson puts it, Watching the Mavs lose to Boston in five games in the NBA Finals had much bearing on the decision.

“I was watching just as a basketball fan, and I did see, like, ‘Man, I could really help this team. They’re right there. Not big adjustments, but just very little adjustments from getting over the top. We’re knocking on the door, and that’s what really got me excited to be here,” Thompson had said about the move.

On paper, it seems that Thompson might form a winning combination with five-time all-NBA first-teamer Luka Doncic and eight-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving for the Mavs. The Mavericks, won the NBA’s Western Conference last season. But they need spot-up shooting on the roster after their perimeter scoring suffered against Boston in the NBA Finals. Thompson looks to be able to bring that, amongst other things, to a contending young squad.

ESPN’s Tim Legler is excited about watching Thompson to have a comeback season in 2025. “I’m going with Klay Thompson… I think because of his relevance. He’s going to be on a team that can contend for a title. His impact on Dallas and the number of shots that he is going to get as opposed to the guys that were taking those same exact shots a year ago, you’re going to see a dramatic difference in Dallas with Klay Thompson,” he said via NBA Today. Indeed, he can make the lives of Doncic and Irving easy with his shooting.

The five-time NBA All-Star averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest while shooting 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from the three-point range in 77 games. On the other hand, former Warriors player Gilbert Arenas thinks that Thompson will also benefit from the presence of Doncic and Irving.

Considered two of the NBA’s most dynamic guards, Irving scored 25.6 points per game last year, while Doncic averaged 33.9 points. And Arenas thinks, Thompson will thrive in their company. “No one’s expecting Klay to average 21 PPG, 22 PPG. If he does, oh sh*t. But for the most part, that offense is run by two dudes. Going off during this season here and there. He can come in and average 20 PPG; it’s going to be less pressure for him though,” Arenas noted. It remains to be seen if such mutual advantages make the partnership a winning one.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.