Klay Thompson is joining the Dallas Mavericks.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shared that the Golden State Warriors agreed on a three-team sign-and-trade deal, sending Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets. Without Thompson, Steve Kerr needs to rethink Golden State’s game plan. Thompson was crucial for their pace-and-space offense, and now teams might focus more on Steph Curry, limiting his shooting opportunities.
Curry will face tougher defenses without Thompson. Kerr might need to use more pick-and-roll plays to make up for the lack of outside shooting .
The Warriors’ new addition of De’Anthony Melton signals a shift in strategy. Melton is great at defense and can attack the basket; he made 36% of his three-pointers last season. This should help fix some of Golden State’s defensive issues from last year.
Adapting to New Talent
Golden State will likely rely more on its younger players now. Jonathan Kuminga brings athleticism and can pressure the rim, while Brandin Podziemski offers an all-around game as a glue guy. Moses Moody might provide scoring off the bench, but none match Thompson’s level of floor spacing.
Fans might feel uncertain about how these changes will affect their team’s performance.
Kerr has mostly stuck with one style due to his core trio’s success but must tweak things if they want to stay competitive next season. The roster has different skills now, so adjustments are necessary.
Luckily, Kerr knows how to win in the NBA and will probably find a way to make it work.
What do you think? Can Golden State still compete without Klay?
