Mavs guard Klay Thompson still open to future Warriors return
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Dallas — Klay Thompson’s split from the Golden State Warriors was years in the making, but the five-time All-Star says a reunion is not off the table, according to an ESPN report.
League sources told ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon that friction began shortly after Thompson signed a five-year maximum contract in 2019, just weeks after tearing his left ACL during the NBA Finals. Although the deal was publicly framed as a reward for a franchise cornerstone, Thompson reportedly overheard owner Joe Lacob questioning his declining production and suggesting he should feel grateful for the contract. The sentiment “stung,” one source said.
The relationship grew more strained when Thompson ruptured his right Achilles in a pickup game in 2020, sidelining him for a second consecutive season. By the summer of 2023, the Warriors offered what they characterized as a two-year, $48 million extension. Thompson’s camp did not view that proposal as firm, leading the 34-year-old to believe the organization was strategically moving on heading into his 2024 free agency.
Thompson ultimately joined the Dallas Mavericks, where he has told associates he intends to chase more championships. Yet the door to the Bay Area remains ajar. One league source said Thompson would “seriously consider” returning to Golden State if longtime teammate Stephen Curry personally requested it.
“It would be unbelievable,” Curry told ESPN about a potential reunion. “If that time comes … of course I’m calling him and saying, ‘We want you back.’ But as we stand right now, that does seem like a far-distant reality. But so did him leaving.”
Source: Hoops Wire
