In the wake of Klay Thompson’s departure from the Golden State Warriors, the details of his final season there are starting to come to light. In a recent report on the situation, ESPN’s. Ramone Shelburne described Thompson as miserable throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
“Over the past year, Thompson has been relatively easy to read. He was “miserable,” as one person close to him said. Miserable with how negotiations with the team had gone on a new contract,” wrote Shelburne. “Miserable at the thought he wasn’t respected or valued by the franchise in the way his older Splash Brother, Stephen Curry, 36, and Draymond Green, 34, were. Miserable at his declining role on the team. And yes, miserable at the way his game and play had declined, as well.”
Thompson, 34, was a longstanding member of the Warriors and a key contributing piece in their last four championship runs. The 5x All-Star is widely considered one of the greatest shooters of all-time and his defense at his peak was enough to rival any guard in the league.
But after suffering two major injuries, the mileage began to show for Klay and his game took a sharp decline from where it once was. While he averaged 17.9 points per game last season, he shot 43.2% from the field, which is the second-lowest mark of his career.
As a team, the Warriors struggled to keep up with the competitive Western Conference and their season would end in the play-in tournament after a loss to the Kings. Through it all, Klay saw his role diminish and he was cast aside in favor of younger players like Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga. The final straw for Klay was the contract negotiations this summer.
He expected to be rewarded for his history with the franchise but the Warriors were unwilling to agree on a two-year, $40 million deal. So when the 4x champion got the chance to secure the contract he wanted with a different team, he decided to take the opportunity.
With Thompson now headed to the Mavericks, it marks the close of a glorious era for the Warriors and a rather bitter ending to a dominant dynasty. After all that they accomplished together, nobody thought it would end this way between Klay, Curry, and Draymond, but both sides are prepared to move on
With the Mavericks, Klay can keep playing to win in an environment that is totally different. He’ll have a fresh start in Texas and will get to experience life in the NBA outside the shadow of No. 30.
With a new contract set to pay him $50 million over three years, the pressure will be on the NBA sharpshooter to live up to expectations and prove that he is the Mavericks’ missing piece. But after a miserable season with the Warriors, this is the type of situation that Thompson needs to get his career back on track.
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