Even if the writing was on the wall, it doesn’t make Klay Thompson’s departure from the Golden State Warriors feel any less strange for his former teammates. After spending his entire career thus far with the team that selected him No. 11 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thompson opted to join the Dallas Mavericks this offseason.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga said he was a bit shocked by Thompson’s departure. Thompson took the 21-year-old “under his wing,” as he told ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth.
“I was a little shocked. Klay is somebody that took me under his wing when I first got drafted. He was one of my role models when I was out there. He always told me how the league functioned and things like that. And obviously, we all know in the league, the next day you can wake up and you happen to be somewhere else. Things just move faster.”
Kuminga added that he’s “happy for him at the end of the day” and said the two still talk.
Thompson spent 13 seasons with the Warriors, playing in 11 while missing two years due to injuries. The 34-year-old opted for a change of scenery after contract talks didn’t pan out with the Warriors.
There’s been no shortage of rumors about the Warriors’ offers to Thompson, but he chose to join the Mavericks over anything Golden State put on the table and reported interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, among others.
Thompson averaged 19.6 points while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from three-point range over 793 regular-season games with the Warriors. He was an integral part of the team’s impressive dynasty, winning four titles and averaging 19.2 points while shooting 40.5 percent from beyond the arc over 158 career playoff games.
Thompson’s departure could free up even more playing time for Kuminga, who had a breakout campaign in 2023-24, averaging 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds on 52.9 percent shooting in 26.3 minutes per game during the regular season
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