Klay Thompson and Draymond Green joined the Golden State Warriors in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Since then, they never had to wait for any other team to approach them or felt like signing elsewhere. These guys added new strength to the Dubs roster that already had Stephen Curry. But after the trio came together in 2012, things started changing for the team based in the Bay Area. They kept getting stronger every game, every season. Later, Steve Kerr joined the Dubs family as head coach. That was it, as from 2015 to 2018, the Warriors made it to the NBA Finals all four times and won it three times.
But a lot of speculations started happening once when Kevin Durant left the team. There were a lot of comments from fans and experts, saying, “The Dub Dynasty is over.” However, Stephen Curry, along with his comrades Klay and Dray, proved the naysayers wrong when they won the championship again in 2022. The Dubs dynasty was very well alive as they won four titles in eight years. However, coming to 2024, it seems like it is really over now. If Draymond Green is the reason why Klay Thompson decides to look elsewhere, then the Dynasty is really “Finished.”
What Did Draymond Green Do To Force Klay Thompson To Leave The Warriors?
Since 2012, Curry, Thompson and Green have become the main core of the Dubs Dynasty. Now, it seems like one franchise icon is livid with another’s comments. The way the 2023-2024 season ended, the Dub Nation started wondering if this will be the last time the Warriors trio play together. Draymond Green and Stephen Curry are still under contract with the Dubs franchise. But the mammoth $189 million contract extension that Klay Thompson signed back in 2019 expired after the current season. Technically, the season is still going on, but it ended for the Warriors in the play-in tournament against the Sacramento Kings. Klay had a scoreless night against the Kings in that play-in encounter. Moreover, he will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the Dub Nation wonders if he will sign another extension.
Lately, the hosts of 95.7 The Game podcast discussed the potential of Thompson signing an extension or looking elsewhere for the first time in five years. The hosts of the podcast revealed Draymond Green’s comments after the play-in game may have upset Klay Thompson. Reportedly, the veteran forward mentioned that the shooting guard tore his ACL, and the Warriors paid him $160 million. Actually, the team offered him a five-year extension worth $189 million back then. Perhaps Green misunderstood. Now, as per the podcast hosts, Klay Thompson didn’t take Green’s comments very well as injuries and contracts are quite sensitive topics among players.
What’s The Future Looks Like For Klay?
Initially, Thompson may have laughed off hearing Green’s comments. Later, the four-time champion got serious, saying, “What would happen if they hadn’t paid me? After five finals in a row, you blow your knees out.” The shooting guard feels that would have been really bad if the team didn’t pay for his injuries. Some fans believe that Green overlooked Thompson’s contributions to the franchise before making that comment.
Surely, Green didn’t intend to hurt his long-time teammate’s feelings. But so far, coming to mid-June, there has been no confirmation of any talks going on regarding the contract extension of Thompson. Perhaps Klay Thompson would like to explore offers from other teams. Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder are favorites to sign the Warriors star.
Stay tuned with Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite NBA team.