Stephen Curry says he never imagined a ‘reality’ without Klay Thompson

Stephen Curry says he never imagined a ‘reality’ without Klay Thompson

Last week, veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks after 13 memorable, historic seasons with the Golden State Warriors.

It marked the end of the Splash Bros era between Thompson and Stephen Curry, winning four titles together alongside Draymond Green. The trio formed one of the most well-oiled cores in the 21st century, complementing and accentuating each other’s skill sets despite the shape-shifting roster changes it had for over a decade.

For the first time since the acquisition, Curry spoke about Thompson’s departure with ESPN Warriors reporter Kendra Andrews.

“It’s something that I never imagined would be a reality, but we want him to be happy,” he said. “Me, Klay and Draymond, we complemented each other so well for so long. We all brought something different to the table, so we’ll see. Records are meant to be broken. Dynasties come all different shapes inside of us, so we’ll see.”

By the end, it wasn’t hard to see why both sides–Thompson and the Warriors–went their separate ways. He didn’t like getting moved to the bench nor would he have re-entered that starting lineup next season, barring injury. He was still very efficient from beyond the arc, averaging 17.9 points on 38.7 percent from 3-point range. But the “vibes” didn’t appear to feel the same as they did previously.

The money that was once there for Golden State was also no longer there due to the new CBA. Neither side was willing to negotiate with one another and grapes turned sour in the end. Thompson wanted to get paid, and the Warriors weren’t willing to do it in this current landscape.

Did Klay Thompson reject more money from Lakers to join Mavericks?

The 13-year NBA veteran ultimately took less money to join Dallas than the Lakers–with income taxes being a huge part of it. The Warriors pivoted by signing De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield to help supplement any production lost while being hard-capped at the first apron.

“I want to be greedy and say we can be relevant and be in the mix and give ourselves a realistic chance to win while I’m still growing these gray hairs and doing high school visits in the Bay [Area] for my daughter,” Curry said. “It’s crazy. [It’s] just the nature of where I’m at. But yes, all that to say I love the Bay and the Bay is home and I never want that to change.”

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