Klay Thompson has looked like a shell of the player he used to be for the Golden State Warriors this season. At times, Klay has flashed his All-Star qualities and proven why he is arguably the second greatest shooter in league history behind only his fellow Splash Brother, Stephen Curry. However, for the vast majority of the year, Thompson has struggled to find his shot, shooting a career-low 37.3 percent from three-point range. Although this is still better than over half the league, the five-time All-Star has witnessed a change of guard relating to his role with the franchise he has spent all 13 years of his career with.

At this point in the season, with the Warriors at 25-25, head coach Steve Kerr has been forced to make some tough decisions in regards to how his team closes out games. Thompson, who has always been Curry's right-hand man when it comes to closing out games, has recently been on the bench in the game's biggest moments. He has also seen his minutes shrink into the twenties in back-to-back games.

Even with Klay's minutes and role decreasing, the Warriors have had one of their best stretches of the season, winning six of their last seven games at a time when they desperately need to take advantage of their opportunities. Regardless of how this season plays out for Golden State, Thompson's future will be the key talking point entering the offseason, with the veteran set to hit unrestricted free agency. While many teams may pursue the sharpshooter, it appears as if the Warriors' veteran is willing to take on a smaller role than he is used to if it means remaining with the dynasty he helped build.

“Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Thompson told Logan Murdock from The Ringer regarding a reduced role. “I’ll be 35 next year. At 35, coming off the ACL and an Achilles [tear] and still have the ability to be a really good player. Maybe not the guy who scored 60 in three quarters and scored an NBA record 37 points in a quarter, but still a great threat out there. I’ve modeled my game after Reggie [Miller] and Ray [Allen], and those guys were incredibly effective until their late 30s. So I plan on kind of following that mold.”

Reggie Miller was a five-time All-Star and, like Thompson, made a living out on the perimeter. Even though he never came off the bench in the final few years of his career, Miller's minutes and scoring production noticeably dropped in favor of Jermaine O'Neal and Metta World Peace receiving more scoring opportunities.

In the case of Ray Allen, the ten-time All-Star moved to the bench in his final two seasons of his career after leaving the Boston Celtics for the Miami Heat. While less effective than everyone knew him to be, one of Allen's most iconic moments came in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals when he forced overtime against the San Antonio Spurs with the Heat's season on the line. Miami went on to win the NBA Finals after being down 3-2 in the series and on the brink of seeing their championship aspirations dissipate.

Thompson is, and will forever be, a legend in Warriors lore. He was one of the founding members of this current Warriors dynasty next to Steph and Draymond, and just his presence alone means so much to this organization. Given all the injury struggles Thompson has had to deal with through the years, it is quite remarkable that he is still able to contribute at the level he is currently playing at. While this may be less than what was seen earlier in his career, Klay can still make an impact in a reduced role with the Warriors moving forward.