Why Draymond Green had no desire for Klay Thompson to stay

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green revealed that he was not interested in a convincing longtime teammate Klay Thompson to remain with the franchise, saying he believed Thompson’s departure was necessary for his personal and professional development.

On a recent episode of The Network with Rich Kleiman, Green reflected on that Thompson’s departure after 13 seasons with Golden State — a partnership that included four NBA championships, six Finals appearances and a joint Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games. Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2024 offseason, marking the end of one of the NBA’s most successful dynasties.

“No part of me wanted to try to talk him into staying because I knew he needed it so bad for him,” Green said. “Like, it was a lot bigger than, man, I just want to be done with you guys and be done as a Warrior. That’s what he needed for him, and as a good brother you have to see yourself and our situation and what we have. And sometimes the right thing to do is just back up and move on.”

Draymond Green said Klay Thompson joining the Mavericks was the right move

Green added that trying to convince Thompson to stay would be a mistake, noting that his close friend needed a reset after a challenging final season in San Francisco.

“It’s like it would be absolutely wrong to try to talk him into staying,” Green said. “Because the reality is he didn’t have to. He had to go because he needed to feel like Klay Thompson again. And the most important thing to me as his brother is that he feels like Klay Thompson.”

The former Defensive Player of the Year also recalled the phone call when Thompson made the news official.

“You know, if he was here last year, it wasn’t Klay,” Green said. “He didn’t have the same joy … and the first time he called, I said, ‘This Klay, he’s going to tell me he’s leaving.’ And I answered the phone, and he said: ‘Dre, I’m leaving’.

Thompson told Green he wanted a change of scenery after spending most of his life in California, citing the Mavericks’ competitive roster as an appealing challenge.

“I just want to try something different,” Thompson said. “I still have a chance to compete for a championship … they got Luka, they got Kyrie. I just think it’s the right thing for me.”

The Greens express confidence in the Warriors’ championship prospects as Thompson enters his second season with the Mavs

In his first season in Dallas, Thompson averaged 14 points, 3.4 rebounds and two assists per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three in 72 games. In the Mavericks’ 2025-26 season opener, he scored 10 points in a 125-92 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

Green, meanwhile, helped out The Warriors begin their campaign with a 119-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. New signing Jimmy Butler III led the way with 31 points, while Green added eight points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Looking ahead, Green expressed confidence in Golden State’s ability to compete for another title despite the roster changes.

“We’ve got Steph, Jimmy, myself,” he said. “When I take a step back and look at it, I think, man, who can’t we match? I’ll take us against anybody.”

The Warriors will host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET on ESPN in their home opener at the Chase Center.