Klay Thompson had left the Golden State Warriors on a sad note. There was no doubt about that. But as he walked out of Chase Center, the sharpshooter held his head up high and told fans, “Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy it happened.” It was a line that summed up his four NBA rings and contribution to the Bay Area dynasty. Two years later, Thompson’s jersey color has changed, but the facts haven’t.

The five-time All-Star and Dallas Mavericks guard ranks fourth on the NBA’s all-time three-pointers made list, just 74 behind Ray Allen. And at 36, Thompson’s next move could (again) shape the championship window of Stephen Curry. That possibility regained traction this week.

According to Brett Siegel, an NBA insider for ClutchPoints, Warriors sources said that Thompson “would be welcomed back to the organization with open arms” on one condition. He needs to secure a buyout from Dallas and land in free agency.

That sentiment dates back to Thompson’s 13 long seasons with Golden State, when he and Curry formed the Splash Brothers and won titles together. Now, even though Thompson has reached the fag end of his career, he still has that burning desire to win, and win at the Warriors.

The Bay Area door initially opened when Thompson was signing memorabilia at an event. A fan asked him about one last ride with his old shooting partner, to which Thompson replied, “I got one year on my deal, it’d be nice to end it in Golden State.”

Weeks later, the door opened even further when Thompson explained the need for a career move on his livestream.

“I want to compete for a championship,” Thompson said on Twitch. “Not necessarily win another one, but have the chance to go and try and get another one.”

Here’s the reality. Dallas can no longer accommodate him within its plans or timeframe. They have begun building their team around Cooper Flagg, whom the Mavericks selected with the No. 1 pick in 2025. New coach Dusty May has taken over, alongside most of the top brass, who are also witnessing a change. That has left very few faces from the front office who had actually traded for Klay.

With an average score of 11.7 points and a 38.3 shooting percentage last year across 69 games (eight starts), Thompson desires a more prominent role. But sources told insider Siegel, “While there are teams with a level of interest in the veteran’s services, no extensive trade talks have been held.”

Talks between Thompson and the Mavericks haven’t reached a buyout stage yet (what the Warriors need), and Dallas is determined to only find a trade for the veteran. The intention behind this is to utilize Thompson’s $17.4 million expiring deal and get something of value in return, even if it’s second-round picks.

Now, Thompson’s reconnection to the Bay Area goes beyond mere speculation about a move. Here’s why. When it comes to Curry, a ticking clock (more like a bomb) surfaces that Golden State can no longer pretend isn’t there…

Curry is in the final year of his $62.6 million deal, with the option to sign a two-year extension on August 29. Signing immediately would give the Warriors short-term security, while holding off would leave them facing uncomfortable questions about the future of the most important player in franchise history.

GM Mike Dunleavy already spent the better part of his last press conference assuring that fanbase that Curry wasn’t leaving. On the other hand, reports suggest Curry won’t leave, but he also isn’t in a rush to commit for another two years, a signal, whether intentional or not, that he expects the front office to do more.

The Warriors had a quiet offseason by any measure. They missed out on LeBron James. The roster that ended last season badly is largely the same one entering the next. Nearly the entire supporting cast of Green, Butler, and Podziemski is in the last guaranteed year of their contracts, leaving Golden State in an uncomfortable limbo between contending immediately or resetting.

The pressure is real and mounting. For all of Curry’s well-documented patience and loyalty, a growing argument is that those same qualities have allowed the front office to move too slowly, leaving him perpetually one move away from a genuine title run that never quite materializes.

Klay Thompson built a legacy in Golden State, but there is another team that could steal him

There is a particular kind of basketball partnership that transcends statistics, one built in practice gyms and playoff trenches until two players move less like teammates and more like a shared instinct. That is what Steph Curry and Klay Thompson built over more than a decade in Golden State, six Finals runs woven together into something the league had never quite seen, a shooting backcourt so in sync they earned their own mythology.

Their last act together came in June 2022, when Curry, carrying the weight of the one individual honor that had eluded him, dismantled Boston across six games and finally claimed a Finals MVP. Thompson, who had dragged himself back from a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles just to be there, understood the gravity of that championship in a way few could.

It felt, for a moment, like a perfect ending.

Then came the fracture. The relationship between Klay and the Warriors broke down during the 2024 offseason over money. Jordan Poole had received a four-year, $128 million extension, and Andrew Wiggins was locked in with a four-year, $109 million deal. Thompson thought that he’d get a similar salary too.

However, after weeks of speculation that the two parties weren’t on the same page anymore, it eventually came to light that the front office had offered Klay a two-year extension worth $24 million annually…

It was quite clear to Thompson that he wasn’t considered a pillar in the Bay Area locker room anymore, and he signed with the Mavericks, officially ending an era.

The new plan was to chase titles alongside Luka Doncic. However, Dallas trading Doncic in one of the most shocking trades of the generation effectively ended those hopes and left Thompson as a secondary figure on a losing team.

That Doncic connection has now fuelled Lakers rumors. In fact, Klay’s dad, Mychal, a two-time Lakers champion, has publicly admitted he is again “trying” to get his son to become a Laker at least for one season. Back in 2024, Mychal said he was “really disappointed” that his son had chosen the Mavericks over his former team. But there’s a slight problem in LA.

The Lakers can only offer Klay a veteran minimum. They already have 16 players on standard contracts and must trim their roster to 15 before opening night. Yes, Thompson brings championship experience, but LA will have to move roster pieces to fit him in, while also digesting the fact that he is 36.

It puts the Warriors in a better position to make a move. The door has crept back open. Buyout rumors have made the possibility more prominent, with Golden State seen as the natural landing spot if he walks away from Dallas. What that reunion would actually mean is the harder question.

Curry, at 38, remains the Warriors’ heartbeat, and an extension worth north of $136 million becomes available to him at the end of this month. His loyalty to the Bay has never seriously wavered.

But the franchise is quietly caught between two futures… squeeze out one more genuine title run with Curry at the center, or begin the delicate work of building past him. Thompson coming back would be a homecoming, and a beautiful one. But whether it would be enough is something else entirely.