Change in the NBA is usually easy to rationalize. Contracts expire, timelines shift, and teams move on, and for Stephen Curry, those realities have been a constant for more than a decade. But some reminders of those realities land differently, and now, one involving former teammate Klay Thompson just occurred – within his own living room.

One night, after pouring in 48 points against the Portland Trail Blazers, Curry was back home with his seven-year-old son Canon, watching a game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Utah Jazz. Watching former Golden State Warriors guard and longtime teammate Thompson knock down a pair of fourth quarter threes,  Curry reacted on instinct, yelling to Klay on his television to “shoot it,” confusing his son.

“Klay’s playing?” Canon asked his father. Upon being reminded that Thompson plays for the Mavs, he seemingly asked Thompson, “Why are you here?”

Curry’s explanation that Thompson now plays for Dallas didn’t dull the feeling that the Warriors chapter had now closed. Curry admitted that moments like these serve as a sobering reminder of how things have changed, and a reminder “of how special of a thing it was.” For Canon, the separation didn’t make sense, especially with his strong relationship with Klay, but for Curry, it just made the feeling all the more heavy.

That disconnect has arrived at a time where league chatter about Thompson’s future in Dallas has grown. The guard signed there in the 2024 offseason after a lengthy contract dispute with the Warriors, and hoped to be a productive piece alongside then-Maverick Luka Doncic.

Unfortunately, his vision for the future was turned upside down when Doncic was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster midseason deal, a team that Thompson had turned down to sign with the Mavericks. This season, he has had an extremely cold start to the season, averaging career lows in points and efficiency, and is regarded as a clear trade chip this offseason.

Factors Affecting a Possible Reunion Between Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors

For the Warriors, a reunion is not entirely out of the question, but it’s unlikely this season. The salaries complicate this issue, especially with the Warriors hard-capped at the second apron, but the final decision rests with Curry.

“If that time comes and that conversation is had,” Curry said of a possible Thompson return, “Of course I’m calling him and saying, ‘We want you back’… As we stand right now, that does seem like a far-distant reality. But so did him leaving.”

Of course, the problem Thompson had was never with his teammates; it was management. According to various reports, a schism had formed between Klay and Warriors owner Joe Lacob, beginning with the guard reportedly hearing that Lacob had told people he should be grateful that the franchise gave him a five-year extension following his ACL tear in the 2019 NBA Finals.

This situation was exacerbated by the team’s handling of his free agency in 2024, where, after he decided to join the Mavericks, he was displeased with management’s attempts to persuade Dallas to give up too much to acquire him via the sign-and-trade move.

The emotional weight of long-time teammates parting ways is not unique to the Splash Brothers. A similar situation unfolded with the Boston Celtics’ “Big Three” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, who came together in 2007 and won the NBA championship in their first season together (2008), defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.

After five years as teammates, including another Finals appearance in 2010, the group began to fracture.

In 2012, Ray Allen left in free agency to join rival Miami Heat (taking a lesser contract), a move that deeply upset Pierce and Garnett, who felt it betrayed their brotherhood. The following year, in 2013, Pierce and Garnett were traded to the Brooklyn Nets.

Like Curry reflecting on how “special” his time with Thompson was, the Celtics trio’s breakup served as a reminder of how rare and fleeting such iconic partnerships can be in the NBA.

Only time will tell if the Bay will ever see Captain Klay again in that #11 jersey, but his presence is sorely missed there, especially in the Curry household.