Report: One person close to Klay Thompson described him as ‘miserable’ on the Warriors last year

Klay Thompson is no longer with the Golden State Warriors after agreeing to join the Dallas Mavericks this offseason.

Reasons for him leaving the Warriors after many years with the franchise have started to leak, with one person close to the four-time champion describing him as “miserable” over the past year.

“But over the past year, Thompson has been relatively easy to read,” wrote ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews. “He was ‘miserable,’ as one person close to him said. Miserable with how negotiations with the team had gone on a new contract. Miserable at the thought he wasn’t respected or valued by the franchise in the way his older Splash Brother, Stephen Curry, 36, and Draymond Green, 34, were. Miserable at his declining role on the team. And yes, miserable at the way his game and play had declined, as well.”

Thompson saw his playing time dip a bit this past season, and he also came off the bench for a small amount of the campaign. The Warriors reportedly planned to bring Thompson off the bench next season behind youngster Brandin Podziemski.

The Warriors planned to bring Klay Thompson off the bench behind Brandin Podziemski next season, per @JakeLFischer

“Flashing forward, if Thompson had returned to Golden State, the Warriors planned to bring Thompson off the bench behind sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski,… pic.twitter.com/MXk0YmWQNu

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 1, 2024

It’s a sad end to what was a long and successful partnership. Drafted by Golden State with the 11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thompson blossomed into a perennial All-Star early on in his career.

He was also a standout on the defensive side of the floor, but he wound up missing two straight seasons (the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns) while dealing with different injuries.

While he bounced back and showed some flashes of what he was years ago, Thompson had a rough end to the 2023-24 season by missing all 10 of his shots from the field in the play-in tournament against the Sacramento Kings. The Warriors got blown out by the Kings and were eliminated from the postseason.

What’s next for Thompson?

Mar 22, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Set to join the Mavericks on a three-year deal worth $50 million, Thompson is ready for a fresh start. He considered joining the Los Angeles Lakers, but seemingly felt that playing for them was too similar to playing for the Warriors.

Klay Thompson reportedly wanted a "fresh start" and felt that playing for the Lakers was too much like playing for the Warriors, per @ramonashelburne & @kendra__andrews

“James had several deep conversations with Thompson about the idea of playing together, sources said. But… pic.twitter.com/byTBbpj3Ny

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 3, 2024

A two-time All-NBA selection, Thompson is hoping he can help the Mavericks get over the hump and win a title this coming season. Dallas made it to the 2024 NBA Finals but lost in five games to the Boston Celtics.

This offseason, the Mavericks have made some decent moves that should keep them in contention in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be interesting to see if Thompson is able to help the team win its second title in franchise history.

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