After spending the first 12 seasons of his NBA career in a Warriors uniform, Klay Thompson could be playing elsewhere starting with the 2024-25 season. Thompson, a free agent in the 2024 offseason, was said to be far apart” in contract negotiations with the Warriors as of June 26, fueling speculation of his inevitable exit from the Bay Area.
While finances could be the main reason for Thompson’s potential exit, one NBA star believes there’s more to the story. On the June 25 episode of “NBA Today” on ESPN, Pelicans star CJ McCollum speculated that the Warriors’ decision to bring Thompson off the bench in the 2023-24 season, albeit just for 14 games, caused the veteran sharpshooter to feel “disrespect” from the franchise he helped win four NBA titles.
McCollum cited the fact that Golden State replaced Thompson with a rookie, Brandin Podziemski, in the starting unit, while making the case for the parties to end their longstanding relationship.
“You go from arguably the greatest run the game has ever seen based on what they were doing collectively — Klay was a huge part of that [with his] threes, defense, hitting big shots,” McCollum said. “To be treated the way he was treated this last year-and-a-half or so, I think I looked at it as disrespect from the outside looking in. I think he may have taken it that way as well.”
Warriors, Thompson Breakup Inevitable?
McCollum added that “a change of scenery” could bode well not just for Thompson but even the Warriors, who could potentially give more playing time to their young core of Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody with Thompson’s potential departure.
“That may be one of the reasons why they’re exploring all the options,” McCollum stressed. “Sometimes, a change of scenery is good for everybody involved. Maybe that’s something they’re just talking through and trying to explore.”
If the 12-year relationship between Thompson and the Warriors were to end, it would mark one of the biggest tragedies in modern NBA history. In previous interviews, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green — the other two core members of the Warriors dynasty — spoke of their desire to ride off into the sunset with Thompson.
After the Warriors’ 2023-24 season ended on April 17, an emotional Curry said he could never see himself stepping onto a basketball career without Thompson or Green as his teammates.
To make matters worse, Thompson’s possible final game as a Warrior would be remembered for all the wrong reasons. The veteran sharpshooter shot 0-for-10 from the field as the Warriors were eliminated from postseason contention.
Warriors Ready to Usher in a New Era?
Thompson’s potential departure could usher in a new era of Warriors basketball, an expected outcome after the franchise’s back-to-back disappointing seasons in 2023 and 2024. In fact, Warriors front-office head Mike Dunleavy Jr. hinted at the Warriors going in a new direction during his press conference on June 25.
Dunleavy said it was difficult for the Warriors to “completely strip the emotion” away from the potential decision to let Thompson walk, but conceded the NBA “is a business” first and foremost. The comments led many to believe that the Warriors were preparing for the inevitable.
“I think it’s about what the right thing that works for the franchise and the player and the role he is in,” Dunleavy told reporters. “Factoring all of those things in is what’s most important, and that’s what is taking place and what we’re looking at.”
According to multiple insiders, teams such as the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to pursue Thompson in free agency.
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