Klay Thompson’s Warriors Exit Still Stings, but Steph Curry Leaves the Door Open
Klay Thompson’s departure from Golden State wasn’t just the end of an era-it was the culmination of years of emotional and professional strain that had been quietly building behind the scenes. While the Warriors once stood firmly behind their star shooting guard-offering him a five-year max deal just weeks after he tore his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals-what seemed like a gesture of loyalty eventually became a point of friction between Thompson and the front office.
That deal, which was meant to honor Thompson’s role in three championship runs, started to feel more like a burden than a badge of trust. After suffering a second devastating injury-a torn Achilles during a pickup game the following year-Thompson missed back-to-back seasons. He later admitted he may have rushed his rehab process after the ACL injury, but the sting came from what he reportedly overheard: Warriors owner Joe Lacob expressing frustration about Thompson’s declining production and suggesting he should be grateful for the contract.
For a player who had given everything to the franchise, that hit hard.
“This was a guy who felt he left it all out there for Joe and the organization, and was then viewed as damaged goods,” one league source told ESPN.
That sense of betrayal lingered. By the time his contract was nearing its end, the relationship had clearly changed.
The Warriors reportedly offered Thompson a two-year, $48 million extension in the summer of 2023, but his camp didn’t view it as a firm commitment. Instead, Thompson felt nudged toward the exit-what he described as being “pushed out in a strategic manner” during his 2024 free agency.
Now in Dallas, Thompson still wants to compete for a title and believes that can happen with the Mavericks. But when asked about the possibility of finishing his career where it all started, with the Warriors, his answer wasn’t definitive. One league source noted that if Stephen Curry were to push for a reunion, Thompson would listen.
“There’s no one that carries more weight with Klay than Steph,” the source said.
Curry, for his part, didn’t shy away from the idea.
“It would be unbelievable,” he 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.”
Warriors Searching for Consistency, Not a Shake-Up
Back in the Bay, the current version of the Warriors is still trying to find its footing. Head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged the team’s inconsistency, comparing it to last season’s pre-Jimmy Butler struggles. But unlike last year, Kerr doesn’t believe a roster move is necessary to right the ship.
“We’re around .500, but I know that we have the answer here,” Kerr said. “Last year I felt like we had to make a move.
This year I don’t think that’s the case. I think we have what we need here, but we need to develop more consistency in our play and that starts with me, giving these guys more consistent roles.”
That’s easier said than done. Kerr admitted he’s facing some “tricky” rotation decisions. With 14 or 15 players he trusts to contribute, but only room for about 10 or 11 in a typical night’s rotation, some tough calls are inevitable.
One of the players caught in that numbers game is rookie Will Richard. After making 12 starts earlier in the season, Richard has been a DNP-CD in the last two games.
“It’s been tough not playing him because I’m a huge fan and a believer,” Kerr said during a recent radio interview. “He offers us stability and decision-making, good shooting, so he’s just got to stay with it.
Right now, frankly, he’s sitting because he’s a rookie and I’m honoring what the older guys have done over the years. I think that’s good for chemistry, I think this is kind of how it goes.”
Trade Talk: Unlikely, But Not Off the Table
As the Warriors navigate their current roster puzzle, the idea of a major trade involving Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green hasn’t been completely ruled out. According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, any such move would need to pass one major test: it has to make sense to Stephen Curry.
“I would not say it’s impossible,” Poole said. “Right now it still seems improbable.”
To date, Butler and Green have only been linked to trade chatter involving Giannis Antetokounmpo. But with the Warriors hovering around .500 and trying to recapture their championship form, no scenario can be fully dismissed-especially if it means maximizing the final years of Curry’s prime.
The Bottom Line
Klay Thompson’s exit from Golden State wasn’t just a roster move-it was a fracture in one of the NBA’s most iconic dynasties. There’s still mutual respect, and maybe even a path back someday, but the emotional weight of what happened hasn’t fully lifted. Meanwhile, the Warriors are trying to move forward with the pieces they have, betting on internal growth rather than external fixes.
But as always in Golden State, the key to everything still runs through Steph.