Draymond Green says it was tough watching Klay Thompson go from carefree to always bothered.
Klay Thompson shocked the world when he left the Golden State Warriors this summer. But for longtime veteran Draymond Green, it was a relief to see his friend go after watching him be so unhappy for months.
“I’m happy he’s gone because he wasn’t happy anymore. As a brother, I only want what’s best for you, not what’s best for me, not what’s best for this team,” said Green on the Club 520 Podcast. “We spent so much time around each other and to see him unhappy the way I saw him unhappy last year… to see someone that does not have a single care in the world all of a sudden can’t shake nothing, that bothered me. It was time.”
Klay Thompson made history with the Warriors. After being drafted 11th overall in 2011, he emerged as one of the top two-way players in the game. Alongside his teammate, Stephen Curry, his perimeter shooting transformed the NBA and their “Splash Bros” tagline became the stuff of legends.
When Kevin Durant entered the fold in 2016, it elevated the franchise to a whole new level. After back-to-back title wins in 2017 and 2018, the Warriors established their place as one of the greatest teams in modern NBA history and Thompson became a legend in the city for his contributions during that stretch.
Even after suffering two major injuries in back-to-back years, Thompson worked his way back into form and helped the Warriors reclaim the championship in 2022.
Sadly, it was after that championship run that things started to go downhill between Thompson and the Warriors. As they continually struggled to keep up with the Western elites, Klay was experiencing a sharp decline in play. He went from averaging 21.5 points per game down to just 17.9 last season on 43% efficiency.
Thomson was so bad on the court, and the Warriors were so desperate to save their season, that they gradually reduced Klay’s role. Over time, he was eventually moved to the bench in favor of rookie shooting guard, Brandon Podziemski.
He was also trying in vain to negotiate a new deal with the Warriors but negotiations fell apart when the team refused to offer the long-term deal he was looking for.
The result of these endeavors was making Klay Thompson extremely unhappy. He hated his role, he hated his struggles on the court, and he hated the way that he was being treated compared to his championship peers like Draymond and Steph. It affected his game and, worst of all, it seeped into the locker room and created a borderline toxic environment from the inside.
So when Klay, a 4x champion, was given the choice to leave and try something new, he didn’t turn down the opportunity. He ended up signing a multi-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks and it could be where he ends his career.
For Draymond, Klay’s new chapter is still a bitter-sweet moment. On one hand, he’s going to miss playing alongside the man who he won four championships with. On the other hand, he’ll be at peace knowing that Klay is happy and in a situation where he can feel wanted by his organization.
