We’ve seen the last splash of Klay Thompson in a Golden State Warriors uniform, as the beloved and prolific shooting guard is ending his 13-year career with the Warriors and taking his talents to Dallas.

Your Golden State Warriors’ dynasty may still not be over yet. But the Warriors dynasty as we know it is certainly over. The Warriors' “core three” trio of the dynasty has been broken up, as the Chronicle reported Monday afternoon that Klay Thompson is leaving the Golden State Warriors in free agency. He’s headed to the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks after agreeing to a new three-year, $50 million deal.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the news with one of those standard ESPN “Photoshop of the guy in the different uniform” tweets, this one particularly difficult to look at.

We will remember Klay Thompson for the four championships he helped bring us over his 13-year Warriors tenure, for the legend of “Game 6 Klay,” the time he scored 37 points in a single quarter, the night he scored an insane 60 points in just 29 minutes. His off-court charm  with funny hats and boats also won our good will. But it hung over the Warriors all of this past season that it was the final year of Thompson’s contract, an extension was never agreed to, and our last look at him in a Warriors uniform was that highly uncharacteristic 0-10 scoreless performance against the Sacramento Kings in April’s Play-In Tournament loss.

Though for a palate cleanser of that memory, the Chronicle has a rundown of Klay Thomsspon’s greatest moments as a Warrior.


Technically, the Warriors will actually be trading Klay Thompson when NBA trades get underway in early July. As CBS Sports explains, this is a three-team sign-and-trade deal with the Mavericks, where Dallas gets Thompson, the Mavericks’ Josh Green is sent to the Charlotte Hornets, and we have idea yet what Golden State is getting in return. All we know is that we are losing Klay Thompson in this deal.

Update: The Athletic's Shams Charania reports that the Warriors are getting two second-round picks in exchange for Thompson. And apparently one of those picks isn't until the 2031 draft.

Two second-round picks. For five-time All-Star Klay Thompson.

The LA Lakers and LA Clippers were also in the running for Thompson. And it may not have sat well with Klay that the Warriors tried to trade for Paul George over the weekend, a move that would have required shipping Thompson. Now Thompson has removed himself from the team.  


But our Warriors’ core era with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson is now officially over. As ESPN reminds us, “The trio of Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green accounted for 518 wins in the regular season and playoffs, sixth most by a trio all time. Their 98 playoff wins together rank third in NBA history and their four titles are tied with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker for the most by an All-NBA trio over the past 50 seasons.”

You can try to fill your suddenly empty-feeling heart with this list of the best other NBA free agents available, considering the Warriors are now in a position to spend. And yes, one of those available free agents happens to be named LeBron James.

Update: ESPN reports that the Warriors will sign Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton to a one-year, $12.8 million deal. Melton averaged 11.1 points and 3.7 rebounds for Philadelphia last season.

This post has been updated with new reporting.

Related: Warriors' Klay Thompson Scores Absurd 60 Points In 29 Minutes [SFist]

Image: DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 05: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on April 05, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)