More details have emerged about the ambiguous ending between Klay Thompson and the Warriors.
Thompson had reportedly grown particularly frustrated with Golden State's financial priorities after the Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals, but at the time, he had an ally who shared his anger.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews reported in a Wednesday feature that Thompson and longtime Warriors teammate Draymond Green were not too happy with the team's decision to extend the contracts of guard Jordan Poole and forward Andrew Wiggins through the summer of '22.
“The Warriors made the extension a priority. [Jordan] Sources write that Shelburne and Andrews “won over the summer but prioritized Poole (four years, $140 million) and young swingman Andrew Wiggins (four years, $109 million) over Thompson and Green, a move that didn't sit well with either of the two veterans.”
It's no wonder that Thompson and Green, the two experienced players who were eligible for extensions at the time, were unhappy with the offers made to Poole and Wiggins, two young players who had only been with Golden State for three seasons.
At the time, Thompson and Green had just helped the Warriors win their fourth NBA championship in eight seasons — as had Poole and Wiggins, of course — but should Golden State have prioritized the latter two over the core players of that dynasty?
Wiggins hasn't been the same player since, after making his first NBA All-Star appearance and becoming a key asset for the team in 2022. Poole was traded last summer for veteran guard Chris Paul after his rocky relationship with Green contributed to the Warriors' decline in the 2022-23 season despite showing great potential.
Neither player lived up to their contracts, and the fact that they received those deals at the time was clearly frustrating for Green and Thompson.
But Green will receive a contract in 2023. Thompson did not — he didn't — and now he's a new member of the Dallas Mavericks.
Thompson really wanted a fresh start, especially after he and Golden State struggled mightily during the 2023-24 NBA season, but things might have been different today if the Warriors had tried to acquire the longtime wing sooner.
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