Klay Thompson’s departure sadly marks end of Golden Warriors as we know them

The business of sports often gets in the way of our enjoyment of sports.

Few things in the NBA have been more entertaining than watching Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Seeing them finish their careers together with the Golden State Warriors would be poetic. The Splash Brothers, the greatest shooting backcourt in league history, were drafted by the Warriors, developed into future Hall of Famers, and won four NBA championships. They are responsible for galvanizing the Bay Area fan base and getting that shiny new arena in downtown San Francisco.

But we’re probably not going to see that ending. That’s a cold, harsh reality. Thompson and the Warriors are divorcing, with the shooting guard set to join the Dallas Mavericks. Both parties are making decisions in their best interests. It’s business. It also feels sad.

Thompson gave his best, and his body, to this team, helping turn it into the most valuable franchise in the NBA . Once one of the best two-way players in the league, his defense and shot-making ability were as important as any component in the Golden State’s success. The Warriors’ dynasty might still be going if not for Thompson’s injuries. He’s not the player he used to be. We all saw it when Steve Kerr benched him late last season. With Thompson in the final year of his contract, this was the end we all saw coming.

Curry got his money. Draymond Green — despite punching a teammate in the face — got his money. But when it came time to pay Thompson, Golden State declined. From a business point of view, in a salary-cap sport, that’s understandable. It still feels wrong since Thompson has contributed so much. If this happened to any of us with our employer, we’d feel disappointed and hurt.

Thompson had suitors. Dallas wanted him. The Los Angeles Lakers needed him. In the end, Thompson will chase a ring and be the third option for a Mavericks team that made a surprising run to the NBA Finals. He should fit in nicely there. With Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving commanding all the attention, Thompson just needs to get open and shoot. He can still do that. Last season, he made 38.7% of his three-point attempts. While it was the second-worst figure of his career, it would have ranked fourth-best on last year’s Dallas team. In the NBA Finals, Dallas shot just 31.6% from beyond the arc over a five-game series loss to the Boston Celtics.

For Thompson, this makes sense. For Golden State, this may be a sign that they’re stuck in no land’s land. They have an aging core. Curry is 36. Green is 34. Golden State is good enough to get back to the playoffs but not good enough to reach the conference finals. Plus, they’re not bad enough to be in the lottery to get the infusion of young talent they desperately need.

Tanking isn’t a realistic option, neither is title contention. That might have still been the case even if Thompson stayed. But at least we could have enjoyed the Splash Brothers going out as a tandem. They are more fun together than they will be apart. Who knows? Maybe they could have put together a few more magical moments.

But with Thompson gone, it’s officially the end of the Warriors as we know them.

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