Why Did Klay Thompson Leave the Golden State Warriors? Here's What Steph Curry Said About It
"He was in need of a change."
Published July 8 2024, 3:47 p.m. ET
After 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, pro basketball star Klay Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks in July 2024.
Klay — the son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson — won four championships with the San Francisco–based team, and fans want to know why he decided to head for Texas.
Here's a quick rundown of the situation.
Why did Klay Thompson leave the Warriors?
According to what sources told ESPN, the four-time champ was looking to win a fifth title with the Mavericks, who were the Western Conference champs in May 2024. Apparently Klay was also interested in the Lakers, but was partially inspired to choose the Mavericks thanks to the lower cost of living in Texas over California.
There had already been rumors that Klay and the Warriors wouldn't renew their contract, with head coach Steve Kerr telling the San Francisco Chronicle in April 2024 that when he asked Klay if he was still having fun, Klay's "answer frequently was no."
Klay was part of the Splash Brothers, aka the duo of Klay and fellow Golden State Warriors teammate Stephen Curry, who became known for their abilities to "splash" the net with the ball, specifically with three-pointers.
"It sucks," Steph told reporters of losing Klay as a teammate, per USA Today. “It's one of those that's hard to kind of process just because I never imagined that this would be kind of the reality.”
"Obviously, I knew most of the updates that were happening and trying to make sure Klay had the right support in terms of making a decision that was best for him," Steph also said. "And that's what it kind of came down to."
"He was in need of a change, and no, it wasn't a situation where I felt I needed to try to convince him because he knew exactly what he meant and still means to our organization, to me as his teammate (and) to Draymond [Green]. It's just one of those deals where you have to trust that he's making the right decision for himself," he added.
"And I just want him to be happy," Steph continued. "At the end of the day, he deserves that. He deserves to be able to enjoy playing basketball however long he wants to play. It does suck that it just won't be with us."
The Warriors released a statement about Klay's departure as well.
"We can’t overstate Klay Thompson’s incredible and legendary contributions with the Warriors during his 13 years with the team, highlighted by four (4) NBA Championships, six (6) trips to the NBA Finals, five (5) NBA All-Star Game appearances and several NBA records, including the most points ever scored in a quarter in NBA history (37) and the most 3-point field goals in a game (14)," the statement read.
It continued: "The amount of joy and happiness that Klay provided Warriors fans, Bay Area natives and Dub Nation supporters all around the world has been immense and cannot be minimized. His penchant for delivering in pressurized situations on the biggest stage, including many Game 6 heroics, has helped define a career."
"Klay’s legacy will live on forever and we look forward to the day we can retire his #11 jersey at Chase Center, where he will join a host of Warriors immortals, including those who helped shape this recent dynasty —himself included," the statement went on, concluding with:
"We thank Klay for his contributions and wish him the best as another chapter in his journey is written."
