In July of 2024, Klay Thompson did something many thought he’d never do: leave the Golden State Warriors. While he enjoyed 13 wonderful years in the Bay Area, winning four championships and becoming a five-time All-Star, Thompson landed a lucrative three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
Thompson has spent the past two seasons in Dallas, missing the playoffs both times. That was a rarity in Golden State, where he played in the postseason in 9-of-11 of his 11 healthy seasons with the Warriors.
While he’s been playing for another team for the past two years, it seems like Thompson still has feelings for Golden State, and the fans obviously still love the sharpshooter too.
Klay Thompson Cracks Door Open for Return to Warriors
While some felt like it was time for a split, as Thompson’s salary was rising to a point where his production no longer matched, others felt like the team did wrong by parting with a franchise icon.
However, those feelings don’t dissipate easily. This is a player who spent the most meaningful moments of his career in a Warriors uniform. Those memories can’t be erased easily.
While at the Fanatics Fest this weekend, Thompson was met by a Warriors fan who made some small talk by offering his admiration while getting the former Splash Brother’s autograph on a basketball card. The fan said, “We miss you on the Warriors.”
Thompson’s response was simple, yet hopeful for Warriors fans in favor of a reunion at a reduced cost. “Buddy, thank you. Never say never.”
Fan: “We miss you on the Warriors.”
Klay Thompson: “Never say never.” 🍿
(via la_tinapr / TikTok) pic.twitter.com/sEAY9jxVTE
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 19, 2026
It’s not hard to imagine Thompson being a bit hurt, outcast by the Warriors, in a way that made the team prioritize his return. Of course, he was the one who agreed to and signed the contract.
If he really wanted to stay in the Golden State, he could have found a way, even if it meant humbling himself and taking a drastic pay cut.
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Thompson hasn’t earned an All-Star nod since the 2018-19 season; the Warriors couldn’t keep paying him like a star if he wasn’t delivering the same level of production. It’s not hard to see why they moved on, yet perhaps there’s a world where they still reunite with him in the near future.
Unfortunately, time may be running out. Thompson is 36 years old, but he is entering the final year of his contract in Dallas, so maybe he finds his way back to Golden State to cap off his career next offseason.
