Reality has set in that Klay Thompson is now a member of the Mavericks. That reality will seem distorted each time Thompson and the Mavs face the Warriors during the 2024-25 season.
Thompson, the No. 11 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, spent the first 13 years of his NBA career with Golden State. As a member of the Warriors, Thompson won four championships and firmly established himself as one of the greatest shooters in league history with several record-breaking showings.
Despite the history and bond built with the franchise and its fan base, Thompson elected to move on via free agency in 2024. The split wasn’t necessarily a big surprise but rather a culmination of things that led to Thompson’s departure.
Why did Thompson leave the Warriors? Here is a look back at his decision to move on to join the Mavericks as a free agent.
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Why did Klay Thompson leave the Warriors?
Thompson’s decision to leave the Warriors was the result of a trying final season with the franchise and a halt in contract negotiations. During his introductory press conference, Thompson said that “sometimes change can spur greatness,” and spoke on what new scenery could do for him.
“A new change of scenery can do wonders,” Thompson said. “I’m very grateful for my time at Golden State, but I just felt like moving on could re-energize me and do something special for the rest of my career.”
The four-time champion also spoke on feeling wanted and finding joy in playing basketball again.
“Coming here is just a fresh start and [me] feeling wanted again, I bring great value and it just gets me excited to go work out after this press conference,” Thompson added. “There were times last year that were tough, where it wasn’t as joyful as it had been in the past. It’s nice to shed that and have a whole new fresh start.”
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Throughout the 2023-24 season, several reports indicated that Thompson could elect to move on as a free agent. Ahead of free agency, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported there were no productive contract discussions between Thompson and the Warriors, signaling an imminent exit.
After missing the playoffs in 2024, Golden State was in search of a big name to jump back toward the top of the Western Conference. The potential of bringing in a player on a lucrative deal limited what the Warriors could offer Thompson in negotiations, further accelerating the split.
During his final season with the franchise, Thompson was moved to the bench for the first time since his rookie season and was very transparent about how difficult it was to make that sacrifice.
Thompson moved back into the starting lineup for the final stretch of the season but infamously missed all 10 of his shot attempts in the Warriors’ loss to the Kings in the Nine-Ten game during the 2024 Play-In Tournament.
That would ultimately be Thompson’s final performance in a Warriors uniform.
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As free agency opened, reports surfaced that Thompson planned to join Dallas on a three-year $50 million deal as part of a sign-and-trade involving the Mavericks, Warriors and Hornets.
The Warriors issued a statement on Thompson, which in part read that “Klay’s legacy will live on forever and we look forward to the day we can retire his #11 jersey at Chase Center.”
Ahead of his first game as a visitor against the Warriors, Thompson declined to acknowledge it as being more than “just another regular season game in November,” but he’ll be honored with the captain’s hats passed out to all fans at the Chase Center.
As for where both parties now stand, Stephen Curry is still processing the idea of playing against his Splash Brother while head coach Steve Kerr summed things up best.
“I think Klay made the right decision going to Dallas. Just seeing him the last couple of years, I think he needed a fresh start.”
