No matter what happens in his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks, Klay Thompson is always going to remembered most for his time with the Golden State Warriors, where he won four championships while forming arguably the greatest backcourt of all time with Stephen Curry.
And his Mavericks tenure has been far from what he expected. He signed on to play with Luka Doncic, as the gravity of having one of the greatest offensive engines handle the ball would help Thompson in the twilight of his career. But then Doncic was unexpectedly traded, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL, and Thompson has been in a much different role than he anticipated.
Dallas seems to be switching to prioritizing Cooper Flagg and building a team around him on his timeline, and at 35 years old, Thompson doesn’t quite fit that timeline. He loves being Flagg’s veteran, but if the Mavericks can get anything of value for Thompson, they may need to take it. Could that mean Thompson ends up with the Warriors again?
ESPN‘s Anthony Slater revealed that there is a world where Thompson could end up in the Bay Area again one day. “︀︀Those around Thompson say they believe it could eventually happen because ‘there’s no one that carries more weight with Klay than Steph,’ one league source said. But Curry would have to push for it.”
“‘It would be unbelievable,’ Curry said of the idea. ‘If that time comes and that conversation is had, of course I’m calling him and saying, “We want you back.” And, hopefully, that would be a welcome message to him. But as we stand right now, that does seem like a far distant reality. But so did him leaving.'”
Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) warms up before the game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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Could a Warriors-Mavericks Trade Be Possible to Send Klay Thompson Back?
The Golden State Warriors haven’t had the season they expected, as they sit with a 13-15 record. They likely wouldn’t want to give up any significant asset to bring Thompson back, and with how tight both teams are for tax space, a trade seems nearly impossible without sending someone else to a team like the Brooklyn Nets to help take on that extra money.
If Thompson were to end up back with the Warriors one day, it would likely be because of a buy-out, or he signs there in free agency. No one really knows how long Thompson or Curry have left in their careers, but it seems reasonable that they would want to do it playing together.
READ MORE: Cade Cunningham praises Cooper Flagg for ‘special’ season ahead of Mavericks-Pistons
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