Klay Thompson's tenure with the Golden State Warriors is over and Stephen Curry was not involved with the free-agency process.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that Thompson asked Curry not to use his influence to make the Warriors push harder to re-sign the five-time All-Star.
"It's been a layered five-year path to this divorce, splintering last season, sprouting earlier and finalizing in the last couple weeks, where —among the conversations Thompson had, league sources said — was a request of Stephen Curry not to exert his significant organizational influence and up the temperature with management to ensure Thompson's return. Curry's measured voice, even if it altered the outcome, wouldn't change the genuineness of Joe Lacob and the front office's true desire to have Thompson back."
Thompson and Curry have been the faces of the Warriors franchise alongside Draymond Green during their championship window. The Splash Brothers helped lead the franchise to four titles and established themselves as one of the NBA's greatest-ever backcourts.
While keeping Thompson would have been appealing to the Warriors, it would have limited the team's chances at making other improvements. The Warriors currently have $27 million in second apron space, per Spotrac, and his three-year, $50 million deal that he signed with the Dallas Mavericks would have pushed that number to under $12 million.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob is reportedly not "willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money on the team," so it appears Thompson was a luxury the Warriors could not afford.
He averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 77 games for the Warriors in 2023-24, and the team went 46-36 and lost in the play-in tournament.
With Thompson off the roster for the first time since 2010-11, it will certainly be a new look for the franchise.
