"The dynasty is over": Baron Davis believes the Warriors are done after Klay Thompson's departure
Golden State Warriors legend Baron Davis reckons the Warriors' era of dominance is over with Klay Thompson's departure. The 34-year-old has joined the Dallas Mavericks this offseason, ending an 11-year stint with Golden State.
Davis, a Golden State Warriors legend, led the team coined as “We Believe Warriors” to a massive upset over the then-first seed Dallas Mavericks in the 2007 playoffs. After that era, the Warriors entered a dynasty with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
However, for Davis, that era of Warriors' domination is over with Thompson's exit. In “ The Draymond Green Show,” Davis explained why the departure of Klay Thompson from the Warriors year’s offseason marks the end of Golden State's dynastic run, which saw them win four NBA championships.
"We watch y'all go from young men to men to superstars to legends. I wish Klay the best, I'm a Klay fan but ... sh*t man the dynasty is over! I just don't know how you kill a dynasty without letting your gunslingers ride off in the sunset," Davis told Draymond Green.
“This is not the storybook ending,” Davis added.
Klay Thompson has helped the Warriors win four titles in six NBA Finals trips. They first won with Curry and Green in 2015 before racking up two more championships in 2017 and 2018 with Kevin Durant. The Warriors last ruled the NBA in 2022, beating the Boston Celtics, with Curry being the Finals MVP.
Davis’ admission came after a season of struggles for the Warriors. Golden State finished 10th in the Western Conference and lost in the play-in tournament against the Sacramento Kings, where Thompson failed to score in 10 shot attempts.
The season was riddled with injuries and unfortunate incidents, including Green’s indefinite suspension as the Warriors finished 46-36 in the season.
Warriors star Klay Thompson joins Dallas Mavericks in six-team trade
Klay Thompson will be joining only his second NBA team after agreeing a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks. He took a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks to join Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
The deal is deemed the biggest trade in NBA history, as six teams were involved in pulling off the transaction.
The six-team mega deal was headlined by the Mavericks’ acquisition of Thompson and a future second-round pick. Meanwhile, the Warriors got Kyle Anderson via sign-and-trade and Buddy Hield via sign-and-trade.
The Charlotte Hornets picked up Josh Green, Reggie Jackson and two Nuggets’ second-round picks. The Timberwolves took two second-round picks and cash. The 76ers got a second-round pick, while the Nuggets took the remaining cash considerations.
Despite the Warriors’ struggles last season, Thompson put up solid numbers, averaging 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 38.7% shooting from the 3-point line.
With the Mavericks, Thompson is expected to add shooting to the team that lost the NBA Finals to eventual champions Boston Celtics.