Draymond Green did not need many words to welcome former Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson to his expected new home.
After Thompson agreed to a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks and chose the Miami Heat as his next destination, Green shared an Instagram Story featuring Thompson in a Heat uniform.
“South Beach Killa!!” Green wrote before adding a 17-word message to his longtime teammate: “I think you gone have to buy a new boat to fit the 305 aesthetic my boy.”
It was a playful reaction to a significant late-career move for Thompson — and an unmistakable callback for anyone who followed the Warriors dynasty closely.
Thompson plans to sign a two-year contract worth nearly $13 million with Miami after he clears waivers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The second season includes a player option. Thompson could officially join the Heat as early as Sunday.
For Green, though, the boat apparently comes first.
HeavyDraymond Green reacted on Instagram to Klay Thompson’s expected move to the Miami Heat after Thompson reached a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks.
Draymond Green’s Message Has a Familiar Klay Thompson Connection
Green’s joke works because Thompson’s relationship with the water became part of his identity during his Warriors career.
While recovering from the Achilles and ACL injuries that cost him more than two full seasons, Thompson bought a boat and eventually began using it to travel around the Bay Area — including trips to Warriors practices and games.
Thompson described being on the water as giving him a sense of “liberation and freedom” in a 2022 interview with NBA.com.
ESPN later reported that Thompson called the boat “The Splash Express.” Even after leaving Golden State for Dallas in 2024, Thompson briefly considered bringing a boat with him before deciding he wanted his new chapter to feel different instead of recreating his Bay Area routine.
Miami apparently has Green reconsidering that decision for him.
The joke also reflects how much has changed since Thompson first left Golden State.
Green was openly emotional about that departure in July 2024. He said on “The Draymond Green Show” that he had shed “a couple of tears” over the end of their run as teammates and emphasized that their relationship would outlast basketball.
“That changes nothing for us,” Green said at the time. “It changes the basketball court, obviously, but the relationships, they are what they are. They are forever.”
Two years later, Green’s first public response to Thompson’s latest move was considerably lighter.
Klay Thompson’s Heat Move Closes Another Warriors Reunion Door
Thompson’s decision also carries some significance for Golden State after the possibility of a Warriors reunion surfaced again this offseason.
Thompson had fueled some of that speculation himself in July when he responded favorably to a fan raising the possibility of returning to Golden State. Heavy previously covered the renewed reunion chatter surrounding the five-time All-Star.
Instead, Thompson is headed toward a considerably different title pursuit.
The 36-year-old averaged 11.7 points last season while shooting 38.3% from 3-point range over 69 games for Dallas. Miami can now deploy that shooting around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo on a roster that also includes another former Warrior in Andrew Wiggins.
Thompson ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,899 made 3-pointers and spent the first 13 seasons of his career building a Hall of Fame résumé alongside Green and Stephen Curry in Golden State.
The Warriors reunion can wait.
According to Green, Thompson has a more immediate matter to handle in South Florida: finding a boat worthy of the 305.
Draymond Green Sends Strong Message to Klay Thompson After Heat Decision