Klay Thompson is getting a fresh start in Miami, but Draymond Green has already put a ceiling on what fans should expect from his former Golden State Warriors teammate.
Thompson, a four-time NBA champion and one of the greatest 3-point shooters in league history, joined the Heat this week after a down season in Dallas. Green’s attempt to manage expectations, however, was interpreted by many as something much sharper.
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Green compared Thompson’s move to Miami with Ray Allen joining the Heat in 2012-13. He argued that the media should not treat the 36-year-old like the version of Thompson who dominated alongside Stephen Curry during Golden State’s dynasty.
“I don’t like how everybody is trying to act like ‘oh, it’s Klay Thompson! Klay to the Heat!’ Like this is Klay from 2018,” Green said. “Let’s stop acting like 2017 Klay is going to Miami.”
“Let’s stop acting like 2017 Klay is going to Miami.”👀
– Draymond
(h/t @TheHeatCentral ) pic.twitter.com/V6kjBgg9Zf
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 26, 2026
Green’s point was that Thompson can still help Miami with his shooting without being expected to average 20 points per game. But the comparison immediately raised eyebrows around the NBA.
“Draymond Green is calling Klay Thompson WASHED,” Kalshi Sports joked.
Draymond Green is calling Klay Thompson WASHED 👀 pic.twitter.com/NUbiN4XZfN
— Kalshi Sports (@KalshiSports) August 26, 2026
“Draymond in 2026 calling people washed,” one X user quipped, taking a shot at Green’s own decline from his peak years.
Another X user questioned Green’s loyalty to his former teammate:
“It really be your own mans 😂 fake [expletive] dude. He should be shining Klay and Curry’s shoes for life the way they carried him to all those rings.”
The Ray Allen comparison also became part of the debate.
“The Ray Allen comp is exactly how everyone is viewing it… he even got asked that in the intro press conference 🤣 this dude’s insane,” one X user highlighted.
The ray allen comp is exactly how everyone is viewing it… he even got asked that in the intro press conference 🤣this dudes insane
— him (@billgatesontop) August 26, 2026
“Nobody said that. He just wanted to call Klay washed lol,” another fan jested.
nobody said that he just wanted to call klay washed lol
— hellam kittebayo (@SpoTown305) August 26, 2026
“Dray is out of touch,” one of Green’s critics bluntly declared.
Dray is out of touch
— Dre Gomes (@agomes0813) August 26, 2026
One user pushed back against Green’s argument more directly:
“1. Nobody is acting this way
2. Completely unnecessary shot at a former teammate
3. Do you realize that you are also not the same Draymond Green from 2017?”
The harshest reaction, however, came from Heat Outsider, who accused Green of jealousy:
“Draymond is an egomaniacal petulant child. This is jealousy at the fact Klay is onto a winner & GSW is now in purgatory. He created a straw man argument so he could try & take Klay down a peg or 2. I honestly can’t stand him as a person.”
Draymond is an egomaniacal petulant child
This is jealousy at the fact Klay is onto a winner & GSW is now in purgatory
He created a straw man argument so he could try & take Klay down a peg or 2
I honestly cant stand him as a person.
— Heat Outsider (@HeatOutsider) August 26, 2026
Thompson’s recent production explains why Green was trying to reset expectations. After leaving Golden State, the veteran spent two seasons with the Mavericks.
During the 2025-26 season, he appeared in 69 games but started only eight. He averaged 11.7 points per game, the lowest scoring average of his career.
Miami, however, is adding Thompson for a very specific reason. The Heat wanted more shooting around newly acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and the veteran center Bam Adebayo, making Thompson’s perimeter threat an important part of the roster.
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Thompson signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with Miami after clearing waivers following his buyout from Dallas. The deal includes a player option for the second season.
At his introductory news conference on Tuesday, Thompson offered a very different message from Green’s caution. Wearing his new No. 11 Heat jersey, he called the upcoming season a “redemption season” and insisted he can still play at “a high level.”
That leaves Thompson with something to prove in Miami. Green may want everyone to forget the 2017 version of his former teammate, but the five-time All-Star clearly does not appear ready to do the same.
