Two years after Klay Thompson's tumultuous split with the Warriors, there are some new rumblings that he could return to Golden State to finish out his NBA career.
Thompson left the Warriors in July 2024 to join the Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million deal, bringing a bitter close to his dynastic 13-season run with the only home he had ever known. His departure didn't come as a huge surprise given Thompson's publicly strained relations with the Warriors over his contract in his final campaign, but it did mark the end of an era for the Splash Brothers and arguably soured his legacy with his former team.
A new report from ESPN's Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon shed more light onto Thompson's drama-filled break-up with the Warriors, detailing the sad saga of a declining star who felt "deprioritized" and like he was being "pushed out" of the organization.
All that said, Slater and MacMahon added an interesting tidbit about the possibility of Thompson returning to the Warriors for a final season or two.
Here's that blurb from the report:
"Those around Thompson say they believe it could eventually happen because 'there's no one that carries more weight with Klay than Steph,' one league source said."
Thompson declined to speculate on his future and noted that it was "a long aways away." Warriors star Steph Curry, however, seemed more open to the idea:
"It would be unbelievable," Curry said of Thompson reuniting with the Warriors. "If that time comes and that conversation is had, of course I'm calling him and saying, 'We want you back.' And hopefully that would be a welcome message to him. But as we stand right now, that does seem like a far distant reality.
"But so did him leaving."
After parting ways with the Warriors, Thompson hasn't found much success on the injury-ravaged Mavericks, who missed the playoffs last year, are 10-17 in 2025 and still feeling the effects of the Luka Dončić trade. Following GM Nico Harrison's sacking in November, Dallas is reportedly expected to explore Thompson's trade market near the deadline. Thompson, who turns 36 in February, is currently owed $17 million next season, which along with his unimpressive last campaign-and-a-half in Dallas could make it more difficult for the Mavs to deal him.
This year, Thompson is shooting career-lows (37% from the field, 36% from beyond the arc) and doesn't seem to have much to offer the similarly middling 13-14 Warriors at this point in his career. For all the reasons why a Thompson-Warriors reunion doesn't make sense, there is, nonetheless, one very clear emotional reason why it would.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Klay Thompson’s Circle Thinks Warriors Reunion Is Still in the Cards.