Two years after a tough and emotional breakup with the Warriors, Klay Thompson’s name is once again being linked to Golden State - this time, not as an opponent, but as a possible returning hero looking to close the book where it all began.
Thompson left the Warriors in July 2024 after 13 memorable seasons, signing a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks. It was the end of an era - not just for the Splash Brothers, but for one of the most iconic dynasties in modern NBA history.
His departure wasn’t a total shock, especially after a season filled with contract tension and a growing sense that he was no longer central to the team’s plans. Still, it stung.
For a player who helped define a generation of Warriors basketball, the split felt more like a cold business decision than a heartfelt farewell.
Now, a new report has added fresh detail to the story of Thompson’s exit - and more intriguingly, to the possibility of a return. According to league sources, those close to Thompson believe a reunion with the Warriors isn’t out of the question.
One source put it plainly: *“There’s no one that carries more weight with Klay than Steph.” *
That’s the emotional thread that’s hard to ignore. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson aren’t just longtime teammates - they’re basketball soulmates. And when Curry was asked about the idea of Thompson coming back to the Bay, he didn’t hesitate to leave the door wide open.
"It would be unbelievable," Curry said. *"If that time comes and that conversation is had, of course I'm calling him and saying, 'We want you back.'
And hopefully that would be a welcome message to him. But as we stand right now, that does seem like a far distant reality.
But so did him leaving." *
That last line says a lot. If Thompson’s departure once felt unthinkable, maybe his return - however unlikely it seems now - isn’t completely off the table.
Of course, there’s a long way to go before that kind of homecoming could happen, and the present-day reality isn’t exactly inspiring. Thompson, now 35 and turning 36 in February, hasn’t found much success in Dallas.
The Mavericks missed the playoffs last season and are off to a disappointing 10-17 start this year. The team is still reeling from the fallout of the Luka Dončić trade, and the front office is in flux after GM Nico Harrison was let go in November.
Thompson’s own performance hasn’t helped matters. He’s shooting career-lows - 37% from the field and 36% from three - and hasn’t looked like the same player who once torched defenses with surgical precision. His $17 million salary next season only adds to the challenge if Dallas tries to move him before the trade deadline, which they are reportedly considering.
And then there’s the Warriors, sitting at 13-14 and facing their own identity crisis. With Thompson no longer in the fold and the roster aging around Curry, Golden State is a far cry from the juggernaut it once was.
From a basketball standpoint, bringing back a declining Thompson doesn’t solve much. He’s not the two-way force he used to be, and the Warriors have enough questions about their future without adding another one.
But this isn’t just about basketball. Not entirely.
There’s a powerful emotional undercurrent here - a sense of unfinished business, of legacy, of loyalty. Thompson is woven into the fabric of the Warriors’ rise.
The 37-point quarter. The 60-point game.
Game 6 in OKC. The championships.
The injuries. The comebacks.
He was never just a shooter. He was a pillar.
So while the numbers may not justify a reunion, the heartstrings might. If Curry picks up the phone, and if Thompson is willing to listen, maybe - just maybe - there’s one last chapter left in the story of Klay and the Warriors.
For now, it’s a distant dream. But in this league, where emotions and legacy still matter, it’s not impossible. After all, so did him leaving.