The news of Klay Thompson joining the Miami Heat has put his name in the news again with fans and players discussing his legendary career. Thompson was a perennial superstar for the Golden State Warriors dynasty years of 2015 to 2019. Unfortunately, an injury in the 2019 NBA Finals both doomed the Warriors’ chances of that title and changed Thompson’s career forever.
Former teammate Draymond Green revealed that Klay was going to leave Golden State for a chance at being the top option before injury changed his plans:
“What I will also say is highly likely, highly likely, that after the 2019 playoffs, Klay Thompson was gonna leave the Golden State Warriors and go be a number one option somewhere. Highly fucking likely. Then he got hurt, and so he stayed.”
Green confirmed that Thompson’s injury recovery led to him accepting a contract to rehab in Golden State and return to the team after missing a full year. Despite clearly taking a step back to no longer being near All-Star level, Klay helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA Championship as a starter. Thompson eventually left Golden State for a bigger role and more money from the Dallas Mavericks once he was already considered a role player.
Draymond Green Says Klay Would Have Thrived
The podcast from Green touching on this subject led to the controversial Warriors forward vouching for Thompson. Green flat out said that Klay would have found the same success that Reggie Miller did with the Indiana Pacers.
“The funny part about saying Klay Thompson couldn’t be a number one option is this: Reggie Miller was a number one option,” Green said. “He was a very, very, very extremely successful basketball player. He was a number one option. So, you mean to tell me if Klay Thompson left the Golden State Warriors, he couldn’t be a number one option, but Reggie Miller could? It’s blasphemous.”
If Thompson joined another team in his prime, he likely would have been an easy to 20 to 25 points per game scorer with the offense set up to give him more touches. Players like Damian Lillard and James Harden showed that superstars can use three-point shooting as their main player, but those names also could create their offense in other ways.
Klay Thompson’s Legacy Didn’t Suffer
One positive to come from Thompson’s NBA path is that nothing has truly negatively impacted his legacy. Flopping on another team, like Kyrie Irving leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Boston Celtics, could have been a dark mark on his resume.
However, Thompson stayed longer in Golden State and won another title with a less stacked roster. New role players like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole to that team have praised Klay for being a great leader in the past.
Thompson now gets one final shot at contributing to a winning team again with the Heat now contending for titles. Trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo meant Miami must take chances on adding enough talent to win. Klay will have a chance to hit three pointers and prove he can still help a team win.
Klay Thompson Almost Left Warriors Earlier For Shocking Reason