Warriors Rumors: Klay Thompson Was 'Miserable' Last Season; Felt 'Disrespected'

Klay Thompson was reportedly "miserable" in his final season with the Golden State Warriors and "felt disrespected" after the team didn't offer him a contract extension during the summer following the Dubs' 2021-22 NBA championship.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews provided the scoop on Thompson in a feature on Wednesday:

"But over the past year, Thompson has been relatively easy to read. He was 'miserable,' as one person close to him said. Miserable with how negotiations with the team had gone on a new contract. Miserable at the thought he wasn't respected or valued by the franchise in the way his older Splash Brother, Stephen Curry, 36, and Draymond Green, 34, were. Miserable at his declining role on the team. And yes, miserable at the way his game and play had declined, as well."

Thompson is now a member of the Dallas Mavericks after agreeing to a three-year, $50 million deal with the team. But he could have been a Warrior for life had he and the Warriors agreed to a new extension two summers ago. That didn't happen, though, leading to those hard feelings.

"Thompson had felt disrespected, sources said, that the team didn't offer him an extension the summer after it won that title," ESPN reported. "That feeling only deepened the following summer when Golden State was only willing to discuss two-year contracts in the range of $23 million to $24 million, instead of matching the four-year, $100 million deal Green had received."

The five-time All-Star spent 13 seasons with the Warriors, playing an integral role in guiding the Warriors to four NBA championships and six Western Conference titles during his tenure.

Thompson notably didn't get paid in 2022 while two other players (Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins) did. One year later, Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards. Wiggins is still a Warrior, but The Ringer's Logan Murdock reported last week that he "will be aggressively dangled in trade talks."

Although Thompson's final year in Golden State was a sour end to an otherwise great Warriors career, the two sides did split up on good terms. Shelburne and Andrews classified it as an "amicable separation," one where Thompson clearly stated his feelings to the front office, head coach Steve Kerr and his two longtime teammates, Curry and Green.

And so Thompson, whose contract expired, pondered a new destination as a free agent. His top choice was the Dallas Mavericks, although the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder were reportedly in the mix.

He eventually landed in Dallas, where he'll now team up with the reigning Western Conference champions and help take some pressure off Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.