Klay Thompson didn’t let Kevin Durant’s latest Warriors comparison slide.
Durant stirred the pot over the weekend when he used a reshaped Philadelphia 76ers roster to make a point about the Golden State teams he and Thompson won with. Thompson’s answer came the way a lot of modern NBA dustups do now: on Instagram, with Durant tagged right in the post.
Durant made his case Saturday at a USA Basketball charity event in Ladera Ranch, Calif., arguing that Philadelphia has enough offensive punch to matter in the 2027 title picture.
"The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the [Warriors] team I was on," Durant said at a USA Basketball charity event in Ladera Ranch, Calif. "[The 76ers] have got four 25-point scorers on this team.
So, hell yeah, I think they're going to be a contender. They're going to be a fun team to watch.
It's going to be League Pass-worthy."
That comment set off a wave of debate online, including a clip from the "E-Lab" podcast that broke down the comparison on Instagram. In the comments, host Tevin J. Payne argued that Philadelphia had talent, but wasn’t on the level of Durant’s 2016 Warriors.
Durant fired back Monday with a breakdown of the players involved and the trophies attached to their names.
"Ain't close lmao," Durant explained. "Joel, MVP recently.
Jaylen Brown, recent Finals MVP, Tyrese Maxey, All-Star the last 3 years. We all know what Bron does.
Klay Thompson, never a MVP candidate in nothing, 22ppg. Draymond, 14ppg, 7 rebounds 6 assist, Steph a MVP just like Joel was.
I don't get how the Warriors team is better on paper."
Thompson’s response was short and pointed.
"Aye man, u good?" Thompson said. "What u using my full government name for?"
Former NBA forward Evan Turner jumped in on X as well.
"'Was never an MVP in anything' is a tad bit aggressive, LOL," Turner said.
The back-and-forth comes as Thompson’s own place in the league is under the microscope. He averaged 22.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 78 games in 2016-17, Durant’s first season in Golden State. That was the third of Thompson’s five All-Star selections, and he’s won four championships, including two with Durant in 2017 and 2018.
Now Thompson is in Dallas, where his trade status remains unresolved. He is 36 and entering the final season of the three-year, $50 million deal he signed with the Mavericks in 2024. Dallas owes him just under $17.5 million for 2026-27, and he can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027.
His production dipped hard last season. In 69 games, eight of them starts, Thompson averaged 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 21.7 minutes. Those were career lows, and he shot 39.3% from the field and 38.3% from 3-point range.
The Mavericks have explored trade possibilities for Thompson and haven’t landed on a deal, Christian Clark of The Athletic reported Monday, citing multiple sources with rival teams. Clark also reported that Thompson would welcome a move to Los Angeles, where he spent part of his childhood and still keeps a home.
Dallas is also dealing with a roster crunch. The team has 16 players on standard contracts after matching New York’s two-year offer sheet for Moussa Cissé, one over the league limit.
Meanwhile, the rest of the roster keeps taking shape around new faces. Masai Ujiri’s first offseason in the front office brought in Zaccharie Risacher, Santi Aldama, and Marcus Sasser by trade, along with draftees Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio De Larrea, and Tobi Lawal.
Durant, for his part, put together a strong first year in Houston, averaging 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while making the All-NBA Second Team. Houston and Dallas are division rivals in the Southwest and will meet four times in the regular season.
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