In the weeks leading to free agency, Klay Thompson asked Stephen Curry not to exert his influence over the Golden State Warriors in hopes of applying enough pressure to ensure his return to the franchise, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Even if Curry was able to change the outcome, it wouldn't change how genuine Joe Lacob and the Golden State front office felt about keeping Thompson.
Throughout the 23-24 season, Thompson struggled to accept a reduced role in Steve Kerr's lineup. In early December, Thompson was pulled from the closing lineup for the first time in his career and reacted by hitting a cup rack behind the bench to the ground and needed to be pulled back Curry as he expressed his anger at the coaching staff.
When Thompson was pulled from the starting lineup later in the season in favor of Brandon Podziemski, Thompson ripped into Kerr and his staff and spent some of that day carping about leaving the Warriors in free agency. Thompson ultimately responded by scoring 35 points in 28 minutes that night and told the media he "deserved" the demotion and "embraced" the role. Thompson acknowledged the negative energy he'd exhibited.
“Sometimes I forget just how lucky and successful I’ve been,” Thompson said.
Because of instances like that, many within the Warriors expected him to circle back and reconsider staying with the team.
Lacob led the front office effort to take a mostly uncommunicative approach to Thompson during his three summers of extension eligibility. Lacob had taken a similar strategy with Curry, Kerr, Bob Myers, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green. Iguodala and Green used Golden State's strategy against them by playing the negotiating game back at them, but Thompson wasn't interested in following suit.
According to a source, Thompson's decision to leave became "easy" when the Warriors prioritized other targets. No offer was ever made during this cycle as there was little communication between Thompson, the Warriors and his agent Greg Lawrence. Sources tell The Athletic that the Warriors planned to eventually make a competitive market in relation to his market. Thompson and the Warriors even also have differing versions of the two-year, $48 million extension offer from before the season.
On the second day of free agency, Thompson agreed to join the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million sign-and-trade. Like the Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers are believed to have offered a more financially lucrative contract.
