Stephen Curry is making it clear: he never wanted Klay Thompson to leave Golden State.
Curry admitted his feelings about Thompson’s departure, in an interview with ESPN’s staff ahead of Dallas’ Christmas Day game in San Francisco.
“I wish he was still here,” Curry said.
Thompson spent 13 seasons with the franchise and joined Dallas on a three-year, $50 million sign-and-trade in the summer of 2024.
The move ended an era that delivered four championships and helped define the Warriors dynasty.
Thompson “felt pushed out in a strategic manner,” after Golden State prioritized a pursuit of Paul George and never formally submitted an offer, sources told ESPN.
Another source told ESPN, “This was a guy who felt he left it all out there for Joe and the organization, and was then viewed as damaged goods.”
That sentiment lingered as Thompson recovered from an ACL tear and an Achilles setback, which sidelined him for 941 days. Golden State still offered a five-year, $129 million deal following the ACL injury, but tension resurfaced when negotiations cooled years later.
Curry remains determined to bridge the gap. He stayed at Thompson’s home in Dallas this February, where he and Draymond Green shared dinner with Thompson and assistant coach Chris DeMarco.
“We didn’t need to address any feelings or his departure or anything like that,” Green said. “It was friends kicking it.”
Curry has now gone even further, telling ESPN he would actively push for a reunion
“It would be unbelievable,” Curry said. “If that time comes and that conversation is had, of course I’m calling him and saying, ‘We want you back.’”
Thompson hasn’t closed the door either.
“I don’t know,” Thompson said. “That’s a long ways away, man. That’s a lot of basketball to be had. I don’t know what the future holds.”
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