Klay Thompson, a 34-year-old shooting guard, spent the entirety of his professional basketball journey at Golden State Warriors. He was an important part of the club’s dynasty period in NBA where they won four championship rings in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 and also featured in 2016 and 2019 NBA finals.
However, all good things must come to an end. After a play-in debacle in the 2023-24 NBA season, roster changes were inevitable. Meanwhile, free agent Klay Thomspon has made his future decision after weeks of speculation. After 13 glorious years, the shooting guard had decided to bid farewell to the Golden State Warriors to join a championship-winning team.
Klay Thompson Moves On From Warriors After 13 Years!
In an unprecedented off-season move, future Hall of Famer shooting guard Klay Thompson has decided to call time on his extraordinary 13-year-long career with the Golden State Warriors to join the 2023-24 NBA season runner-ups Dallas Mavericks. Thompson will be moved via a sign-and-trade deal involving three teams: Warriors, Mavericks, and Hornets. While the Dubs will receive two second-round picks from the Mavericks in exchange for Klay, the Hornets will get Josh Green from Dallas. Notably, Thompson is expected to sign a $50 million three-year contract with the Mavericks following the fruition of the move. Interestingly, Klay Thompson is believed to have rejected several lucrative offers to join hands with the Mavs since he wanted to be on a championship-winning team.
That marks the end of Thompson’s illustrious career with the Dubs, where they won as many as four championship rings and created a formidable dynasty with the help of Steph Curry and Draymond Green. However, the past season was a rocky ride for Klay Thompson, as he was forced to come off the bench for the first time since 2012. He had multiple showdowns with coach Steve Kerr over his role clarity, and the detachment grew as the Warriors fell out of the playoffs race. Klay averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 43.2% overall and 38.7% on 3-pointers last NBA season, which is also the first season in which Thompson played in 70 or more games and failed to average at least 20 ppg since 2013-14. Undoubtedly, Klay’s exit will change things drastically within Warriors as they grapple with the harsh reality.
Warriors To Retire Klay Thompson’s 11 Number Jersey
In the aftermath of the unprecedented exit of Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors have confirmed that they are looking forward to the day when they can retire his no.11 jersey at Chase Center to celebrate his legacy along with the rest of the legends that served the Dubs in the past and built the unmatched legacy.
In an emotional note, Warriors expressed gratitude for Klay Thompson’s services and wished him all the best for his future endeavours. Notably, the farewell note didn’t mention Klay’s upcoming destination as it’s against the NBA rules. The social media activity was a mere confirmation of Thompson’s exit from the organization.
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