On Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors suffered a season-ending 118-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center in the NBA’s play-in tournament. The Warriors’ offense had a rough outing, especially guard Klay Thompson, who went 0-10 from the field, including 0-6 from beyond the arc, and finished the game with 0 points (per NBA.com).
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The 13-year veteran is set to test free agency this offseason for the first time in his career and there’s a realistic possibility that he leaves the franchise for greener pastures. Amidst these possibilities, Thompson’s partner-in-crime, two-time league MVP Stephen Curry, was asked about his teammate’s potential exit from the franchise. He said the following, per Anthony Slater.
“I can never see myself not with those two guys [Klay Thompson and Draymond Green]. I understand this league changes and there’s so many things that go into it and we are not gonna play forever. We’ve experienced so much together and at the end of the day, I know they wanna win and I wanna win and that’s all I am worried about.”
Stephen Curry’s statement didn’t give away much more than what he has been open about already. It’s clear that the 36-year-old values loyalty, perhaps more than any other player in the NBA. So, for him to see a fellow ‘Big 3’ Warrior go would likely be heartbreaking. That said, it is also clear that even if Thompson does decide to leave, he won’t hold it against him, instead likely choosing to reminisce about the good old days with him on occasion.
Thompson’s potential exit from the franchise would mark the end of the Warriors’ Big 3 era, which yielded four championships for the franchise. The trio of Curry, Thompson, and Green have already cemented their legacy in the NBA’s folklore as the faces of one of the greatest dynasties in the league’s history. However, they’ve seemingly reached the end of the road as a massive offseason looms for the Warriors.
Stephen Curry sends a strong message to the Warriors’ front office
During the same interview, a despondent Stephen Curry was asked his opinion about on whether the Warriors need a massive overhaul or minor tweaks to bounce back next season. He responded,
“I’ll speak to [general manager] Mike [Dunleavy Jr.] and coach [Steve Kerr]. This league you never know, man… I just want to win. And whatever that means, I want to win.”
Curry has made it clear that he wants the Warriors to retool the roster and make it championship-caliber. It’s clear that the Warriors need a facelift after missing the playoffs for the first time with a healthy Curry, Thompson, and Green. While their superstar guard will be in Paris for the Olympics this summer, the franchise has to make some massive decisions to rebuild the roster and return to their winning ways.
