We all thought Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green would all play together until their retirement. The trio achieved the extremely unique accomplishment of building a dynasty with the team that originally drafted them, and it seemed like nothing could disrupt their bond.
Draymond Green has been with the Warriors and teammates with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson throughout his entire 12-year NBA career.
However, the Warriors' championship-winning trio of Curry, Green, and Thompson disbanded when Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade deal on July 1st securing a three-year $50 million contract.
At the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Sunday, Green was asked by ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth about Thompson's departure.
Klay Thompson's departure still hasn't sunk in for Draymond Green
“It's a classic tale of suppressing your emotions right now. I haven't allowed myself really process it,” Draymond Green expressed in regards to Thompson's exit.
The Warriors enforcer added that “I don't want to. I feel like I'll face it when I have to face it. Nonetheless, I'm happy for Klay.”
Thompson has been teammates with Curry every season since being drafted in 2011, with Green joining them in the 2012 offseason.
Golden State secured four championships with all three players on the roster, with Kevin Durant joining them for back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. After Durant's exit in free agency following a loss to the Toronto Raptors in 2019, uncertainties loomed over the Warriors' future.
The trio secured another championship in 2022 against the Boston Celtics, bolstered by a new supporting cast that included Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Jonathan Kuminga.
Thompson's move to the Dallas Mavericks means Curry and Green will face the upcoming season without their longtime teammate for the first time in their careers.
“Happy he gets the opportunity to play basketball at a high level and get back to feeling like Klay. I think he's gonna have a really good year and he's gonna show people he's got a lot left in the tank,” Draymond Green added.
The ripple effect of Klay Thompson's Warriors exit
Thompson's sudden departure from the Warriors caught many by surprise. The situation escalated dramatically when he unfollowed the team on Instagram, indicating a significant shift after negotiations failed to reach a positive resolution.
On the Mavericks' side, there is anticipation to integrate the veteran guard into their roster, aiming to strengthen their team following their recent NBA Finals appearance.
Klay Thompson will be joining forces with one of the NBA's top duos in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks are entering the season fresh off their first NBA Finals appearance since their championship victory in 2011.
The four-time NBA champion is coming off one of the lower-scoring seasons of his career. Last season, Klay Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game while shooting an uncharacteristic 43% from the field, 38% from three-point range, and an 92% from the free-throw line. He is expected to immediately contribute as a starter off the ball for Dallas.
A new era for the Warriors and the Mavericks
The upcoming 2024-25 season will reveal which version of Thompson fans will witness. Nevertheless, everyone is eagerly anticipating how the former Warriors star will perform in the upcoming campaign.
Meanwhile, the Warriors plan to reshape their lineup around four-time champion Stephen Curry, incorporating Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson to introduce new offensive dynamics alongside their the world’s greatest shooter.
The Warriors finished last season as the tenth seed in the Western Conference with a record of 46-36. They were eliminated by the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament, marking their third absence from the NBA playoffs in the last five years.
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