STATELINE, Nev. – Charles Barkley, who often nitpicked the Warriors when they were at the peak of their powers, is now covering them with dirt while simultaneously indicating Klay Thompson’s departure was the best result for both parties.
Shortly after arriving Thursday morning at the Edgewood Tahoe for the American Century Celebrity Championship, Barkley spent a few minutes discussing Thompson’s exit and the state of the Warriors with NBC Sports Bay Area.
“They were going to make a business decision,” Barkley said of the Warriors-Thompson divorce. “They weren't going to pay him past his prime, so he got a good deal down in Dallas and I hope it works out for him. He's a good dude, he's a future Hall of Famer. But they were going to move on.
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“When players get old, you don't have to pay them for what they used to be.”
Thompson, 34, had difficulty accepting the loss of his elite status after major injuries in successive years, a torn ACL in his left knee in June 2019 and ruptured Achilles’ tendon his right leg in November 2020. After missing two full seasons and half of another, he was a major contributor but no longer an All-Star.
It became clear in the weeks before free agency opened on June 30 that the Warriors were indeed prepared to move forward without Thompson, a five-time All-Star guard who was a mainstay since Golden State selected him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Though the Warriors publicly expressed a desire to retain Thompson, they opened the door for him to seek other offers. He chose to leave the Bay Area and sign a three-year contract worth $50 million to join the Western Conference champion Mavericks.
Golden State Warriors
“They're going to miss Klay, but they've been done for a couple of years,” Barkley said. “They were in the Play-In; they weren’t in the playoffs. They had a great run, and it's over and you just have to start rebuilding for the future.”
Golden State’s response to losing Thompson was adding two veterans that project as able to fill the void – guards Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton – and further bolster the roster by negotiating a sign-and-trade deal to acquire forward Kyle Anderson.
They’ll join forces with decorated veterans Stephen Curry and Draymond Green form a deep group of experienced players. Not that, according to Barkley, it will make much of a difference with age catching up to Curry, 36, and Green, 34.
“They’ve got some basketball left,” Barkley said. “But as far as being at the highest level, those days are over.”
Curry and Green have shown no willingness to accept that. Furthermore, the Warriors have not given up on trading for an All-Star capable of helping the two vets anchor a legitimate contender.