Published on September 24, 2024; last updated three hours ago by Taylor Wirth Distribute During the 2024–25 NBA season, hosts Monte Poole and Dalton Johnson of “Dubs Talk” talk about whether they think Andrew Wiggins can replace the vacuum left by Klay Thompson for the Golden State Warriors. During the 2023–24 NBA season, Klay Thompson and the Warriors may have seen the writing on the wall. Before Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million sign-and-trade contract with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason, it was evident to coach Steve Kerr and the team that the soon-to-be free agent may be open to a change of scenery after last season’s hardships.
Yes, there were indications,” Kerr said to Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard during the most recent episode of “The TK Show.” “Clearly, none of us anticipated what would occur, and we were all rooting for him to stay. It felt fitting to me to want Klay to be a Warrior for eternity. However, you can never truly know what is best for another person; only that individual is aware of it. And by year’s end, I believe Klay realized he wanted to go for his own reasons. “I think this will be a terrific move, therefore I’m glad for him. With two elite creators in Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, he will play for a fantastic team and should get plenty of open looks.” I consider the fact that occasionally a late-career transition can revitalize and reinvigorate you.”
Even two years after Thompson returned to the floor in January 2022, Kerr acknowledges that the two lower-leg injuries that changed his career—a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and a ruptured Achilles in the fall of 2020—continued to have an emotional toll on the Warriors shooter. “I’m hoping Klay can move on from the injuries psychologically and emotionally, which I think he struggled to do here, frankly,” Kerr stated. “So I think a fresh start is great for him.” Though tragic for the Warriors and Dub Nation, and another indication that Golden State’s dynasty is coming to an end, Kerr thinks Thompson’s exit could lead to additional thrilling lineup opportunities this season.
