Steve Kerr Candidly Reflects on Klay Thompson’s Decision to Leave Warriors

The Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson parted ways this offseason, 13 years after the organization selected him 11th overall in the draft.

Stephen Curry admitted over the weekend that the reality of Thompson’s departure hasn’t fully sunk in. On Wednesday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr addressed Thompson’s decision to join the Dallas Mavericks during an appearance on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibsand said the 34-year-old “really needed this career change.”

“From 2014-19, before the injury, Klay was unflappable. He rarely required a lot of maintenance from me as a coach. He was just so happy to be playing and playing at a high level. I checked in on him and he was always great and enjoying life. That changed after the two injuries.

“He’s had a hard time getting himself back to that level. Even though I think he’s played really well for us at times over the last few years and obviously helped us win a championship… He was still a very high-level player. In his own mind and I think in the minds of everybody watching, he wasn’t the same guy he was before the injuries. And Klay really struggled with that,” Kerr said of the five-time All-Star.

Thompson missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons due to injuries, with Kerr noting that it wasn’t an easy adjustment for the veteran marksman to return to his old form.

“The things that happened organizationally, I think honestly those things are all a byproduct of the frustration with the injuries,” he added. “We were always in a great position with Klay in terms of our relationship and communicating how we felt about him. Ultimately, he really needed this career change and I think it’s going to be good for him.”

Thompson’s rookie season with the Warriors was Mark Jackson’s first as head coach of the organization. By the time Steve Kerr arrived in 2014, he had developed into one of the game’s best sharpshooters and a reliable No. 2 option next to Curry. Thompson has been one of the faces of the franchise throughout Kerr’s tenure with the team, helping secure four championships.

Now that that chapter in Thompson’s career is officially over, Kerr candidly admitted that he felt the split was for the best.