After missing out on a blockbuster deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Golden State Warriors find themselves in a holding pattern post-trade deadline-but they’re not alone. Three familiar faces from the Warriors’ championship era-Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, and Kevon Looney-also stayed put at the deadline, and each of them is navigating a situation that’s far from ideal.
Let’s start with Thompson. Once the heartbeat of the Warriors dynasty alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Thompson is now coming off the bench in Dallas-a far cry from the role he envisioned when he signed with the Mavericks in the 2024 offseason.
The move to Dallas was supposed to be a fresh start and a chance to chase another ring after the Mavs fell short in the Finals against Boston. But that dream has faded fast.
Thompson’s name surfaced in trade rumors early in the season, coinciding with a rocky start to his year. And while he showed signs of life in January, the production has cooled again-he’s hit double figures just once in his last six games. The Mavericks ultimately held onto him at the deadline, but they did ship out another veteran in Anthony Davis, whose brief stint in Dallas ended with a modest return from the Wizards.
That move signaled a clear shift in direction for the Mavs. With Davis gone and Kyrie Irving still recovering from a torn ACL, Dallas is pivoting toward a youth movement centered around top overall pick Cooper Flagg.
That’s not exactly the win-now environment Thompson signed up for. At 35, he’s still got something left in the tank, but it’s clear the Mavericks are looking ahead-and Thompson’s role in that future is uncertain at best.
If Thompson’s situation is frustrating, Jordan Poole’s might be downright maddening. The 26-year-old guard, once seen as a rising star in Golden State, is now collecting DNPs in New Orleans-six straight, to be exact. He’s making nearly $32 million this season, but that hefty contract hasn’t translated into playing time on a Pelicans team that’s sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference at 13-40.
New Orleans would’ve loved to move Poole before the deadline, but the market just wasn’t there. Now, the question becomes: what’s next?
He’s still owed $34 million next season, and while the deadline has passed, there’s a chance he gets another look in the rotation. But it’s hard to ignore the writing on the wall-Poole’s once-promising trajectory has hit a wall, and it’ll take more than just opportunity to get it back on track.
Then there’s Kevon Looney, the steady, unflashy big man who played a crucial role in multiple Warriors title runs. He signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans in free agency, but he’s been buried on the bench from the jump. With an $8 million team option for next season that New Orleans is unlikely to pick up, Looney’s future in the league is now in serious doubt.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for fans who watched these three help build a dynasty in the Bay. While the Warriors are dealing with their own setbacks-including Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury-it’s just as disheartening to see these former champions struggling to find their footing elsewhere.
They may be in different cities now, but Thompson, Poole, and Looney share a common thread: each is trying to navigate a new phase of their career, one that’s proving to be more turbulent than triumphant.