Klay Thompson Returns to the Bay, But the Warriors Have Already Moved On
SAN FRANCISCO - There was a time when a Klay Thompson homecoming would’ve felt like a full-blown reunion. This one? It barely registered.
Sure, there was the expected pregame hug from Steph Curry, a respectful ovation from the Chase Center crowd, and a few quick embraces after the final buzzer. But the warmth that once defined Thompson’s connection to the Warriors felt more like a flicker than a flame. No drama, no tension-just a quiet acknowledgment that the chapter has closed.
This was Thompson’s fourth game back in the Bay as a visitor, and by now, the novelty has worn off. He’s a Dallas Maverick now, and that’s how everyone treated him-teammates, fans, even himself.
“They are an opponent,” Thompson said. “Why would I look at any other team other than the Mavericks like that? It’s just the nature of the business.”
There was a time when the idea of Thompson in another jersey felt unthinkable. He wasn’t just part of the Warriors’ dynasty-he was one of its cornerstones.
The stoic sniper who dropped 37 in a quarter, the defensive anchor on the perimeter, the other half of the Splash Brothers. His game, his energy, his loyalty-they were all woven into the very fabric of Golden State’s rise.
But the NBA doesn’t do sentiment for long. And this Christmas reunion wasn’t about rekindling old flames. It was about what’s next.
Thompson’s current role in Dallas is a far cry from his heyday. He’s coming off the bench, backing up Naji Marshall, sharing second-unit duties with Brandon Williams.
He’s trying to find rhythm alongside Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, but the fit hasn’t quite clicked. His numbers are down.
His minutes are limited. And the nostalgia?
It’s not enough to change that.
There’s been chatter online about a possible reunion-Golden State could use more shooting, Dallas might need a shake-up. Thompson’s contract is manageable.
The Warriors have assets. On paper, the pieces could fit.
But on the court? The vibe said otherwise.
Golden State’s 126-116 win over Dallas didn’t scream “bring Klay back.” It felt like a team moving forward, not looking back.
Even Curry’s subtle tribute-lacing up Thompson’s KT 11 Anta sneakers-felt more like a nod to the past than a plea for the future. A symbolic gesture, not a statement.
“I’ll never get used to seeing Klay on the other side,” head coach Steve Kerr admitted. “I miss Klay. I wish he was still here.”
But even that sentiment was more reflective than emotional. The real tension this week had nothing to do with Thompson. It came from within.
Earlier in the week, Kerr and Draymond Green got into it during a timeout against Orlando. Green left the bench, walked to the locker room, and didn’t return. It was a flashback to the fire that fueled the Warriors during their championship runs-except now, it feels more combustible than constructive.
Kerr took the blame. Both apologized to the team. But the incident underscored something larger: this team is still trying to figure out who it is.
The dynasty days are gone. The expectations linger. And that combination can be heavy.
“I like that,” said Jimmy Butler, who was in the huddle during the Kerr-Green spat. “Y’all yell at each other.
Turned me on a little bit. I’m not gon’ even lie.
I like that. I like the confrontation.
It’s good for us.”
The Warriors are chasing a feeling-what they once had, what they still believe they can find. But the path back to contention won’t be paved with memories. It’ll be built on what’s next.
And right now, what’s next includes players like De’Anthony Melton.
Melton isn’t a household name. He’s not splashing threes from 35 feet or plastered on billboards.
But he’s emblematic of this new Warriors phase-gritty, versatile, and willing to do the dirty work. After missing most of last season with an ACL injury and struggling to find his shot this year, Melton kept pushing.
He attacked the paint. He took 14 shots.
And with 50.2 seconds left, he buried a dagger three-just his fifth make in his last 31 attempts from deep.
Hands to the sky, emotion pouring out, Melton looked like a man who’d finally caught a break.
“I’m just tryna keep working through it,” he said. “I think, definitely, my conditioning has gotten better.
Before, in my first five minutes of the game, I feel like I’m ready to pass out. But now, I feel a lot better, I feel like I can play a lot longer.”
Melton, along with rookie Brandin Podziemski, has become part of the Warriors’ evolving identity. They’re secondary playmakers, willing drivers, capable shot-makers-exactly the kind of players who thrive next to Curry when defenses sell out to stop him.
They’re not trying to be the next Klay. They’re trying to be themselves.
And that’s what this team needs.
As for Thompson, his return to Chase Center this time felt less like a moment and more like a memory. No fireworks.
No revenge game. Just seven points off the bench, 1-of-4 from deep, and a quiet night that ended without tension or tears.
Last season, his first game back in the Bay ended with Curry screaming into the camera. The next time, Thompson lit up the scoreboard with 29.
But this time? The sparks were gone.
What remained was acceptance.
The Warriors aren’t trying to preserve the past anymore. They’re trying to survive the present-and maybe build a future.
Thompson will always be part of what they were. His record-setting nights, his championships, his stoic swagger-they’re etched into the franchise’s soul.
But his presence no longer defines the team’s direction. The nostalgia is real, but it doesn’t drive the bus anymore.
“Probably all the good times,” Thompson said when asked what comes to mind when he returns. “Record-breaking nights.
Championships. All that good stuff.”
That good stuff feels a little further away now. Because for the Warriors, the past is honored-but the future is calling.