- In 2014, the Warriors could have traded Klay Thompson as part of a package to acquire Kevin Love from the Timberwolves
- Jerry West, an executive board member of the Warriors at the time, was strongly against parting with Thompson
- Klay would go on to help the Warriors win four championships
While the Golden State Warriors are the team synonymous with winning over the last nine years in the NBA, that wasn’t always the case. Back in 2014, the Warriors had just been eliminated from the postseason in the first round and the franchise felt it was time to make a big splash. The star they had their eyes on was Kevin Love.
The Minnesota Timberwolves though reportedly wanted Klay Thompson in return and the deal fell through. That trade might have gone through though, if not for Jerry West, who was an executive board member with the Warriors from 2011 to 2017. West did not want Klay included and explained later why he held him in such high regard.
“I’m a big fan of Klay Thompson,” West said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think there were certain people that were of a different opinion because Kevin Love was an attractive player to have because of his ability to spread the court, his rebounding, his passing — he’s a good player.
“But to me, the perfect player — and he wasn’t as far along in his career when this trade had been talked about — the perfect player for Steph was Klay,” West continued. “He never seeks the spotlight. He just plays the game. And he has gotten better and better, and frankly, he’s one of the most underrated players in the league who gets not as much love as he should get.”
It would seem like an obvious decision now to not trade Klay for Love, but it wasn’t that clear-cut back then. Love had made the All-Star team in three of the last four seasons, while Klay hadn’t shown just yet that he was going to be a star. West, however, could see that he was a perfect fit with Stephen Curry and made it clear he shouldn’t be moved.
Fortunately for the Warriors, they listened to West and reaped the rewards for it, as Klay played a key role in this dynastic run in which they have won four championships. This was just yet another instance of West showing why he is regarded as one of the greatest executives in NBA history.
It Was The Second Time The Warriors Had Tried To Trade Klay Thompson
Surprisingly, this wasn’t the first time that the Warriors could have moved Thompson. Back in 2012, they were reportedly willing to include Klay in a package for James Harden.
They were only going to do it though, if the Oklahoma City Thunder took on the contract of either Richard Jefferson or Andris Biedrins. Thunder GM Sam Presti never called the Warriors back, however, and Harden ended up in Houston while Klay stayed with Golden State.
While the Love trade wouldn’t have been a great one, it’s fascinating to think what might have happened if Harden and Curry had become teammates. They are two of the greatest offensive players in league history and could have achieved a tremendous amount of success together.
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