Over the last decade, the Golden State Warriors have established themselves as the preeminent franchise in the National Basketball Association. They boast six Finals appearances over that span, four NBA championships, and they’ve transcended the sports world as they have mainstream appeal to the casual fan. Stephen Curry is as popular as any NBA player in his era, while Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have become household names as well.
Even with all of that, the NBA, and sports in general, is a “what have you done for me lately” business. The Warriors were eliminated from 2024 NBA playoff contention before even getting a chance to compete in the postseason with a 118–94 defeat to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament on Tuesday.
So, despite its success over the last 10 years, many are only pointing to this being the third time in the last five years that Golden State failed to make the postseason.
While Curry is still playing at an elite level, and is signed through the 2025–26 season, the rest of the Big Three have questions regarding them.
Draymond Green missed 21 games due to suspensions this past season, as he’s been suspended by the NBA four times since the start of the 2022–23 season.
However, working in his favor is that his contract runs through the 2026–27 season, and given his combative history, he isn’t likely to fetch much in a potential trade.
In terms of on-court production, Green could also point to the Warriors’ success when he’s on the court. The Warriors were 32–18 (.640 W–L percent) this past season across the 50 games that Green played at least 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, across the other 32 games (27 in which he did not play, five in which he played under 18 minutes), the team was just 14–18 (.438 W–L percent).
For context, a .640 W–L percent over a full season would have netted the Warriors the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and would have been the fifth-best record in the NBA.
As for the .438 W–L percent, that would have put Golden State as the 12th seed in the West and out of the play-in tournament entirely.
As for Thompson, it’s much more complicated. His production has decreased as his 17.9 points per game were his lowest since 2012–13, while both his field goal percentage (43.2 percent) and his 3-point percentage (38.7 percent) were both among his three lowest rates over his 11-season career.
Additionally, he will hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, and he didn’t leave a great impression on Warriors fans or the front office with his final game of the season.
Thompson went 0 for 10 in the play-in loss to Sacramento, failing to score a single point. It was just the fifth game across his 793-game career that he was held scoreless, and each of the previous four saw him play 11 minutes or fewer.
One could point to his 32 scoreless minutes on Tuesday as being one of the biggest reasons why Golden State’s season is over.
For his part, Thompson certainly sounds like someone who wants to stick around in The Bay. A day after the Warriors’ season ended, Thompson expressed hope that the team could run it back with him in the fold.
“(I) want to keep winning,” Thompson said in a Wednesday exit interview. “I mean, when you’ve been a part of winning seasons, you don’t really want to go away from that. So I would like to win again. One for the thumb would be nice. I still think it’s in reach.”
However, as someone who will be 35 next season and has had two season-ending injuries, Thompson is also keeping his mind open to new possibilities. He infamously turned down a two-year, $48 million contract extension from the Warriors last summer. He is clearly trying to weigh being part of a championship-caliber team while seeking a contract that is on par with what he believes his value to be.
The latter of those was best epitomized on Wednesday when Thompson was asked if he felt that the Warriors’ front office had shown enough effort in regard to retaining him going forward with a contract offer commensurate with his perceived value.
“I don’t really know how to answer that,” Thompson admitted. “I mean, it’s up to them, but at the end of the day whatever happens, it’s all gravy. It’s been such a freaking special run.”
Per NBA reporter Zach Lowe, the Warriors want to “make the most of Curry’s remaining seasons,” which would indicate they’ll continue to strive for championships rather than pull the plug on the dynasty. Whether Thompson—or even Green, not to mention Chris Paul, whose contract is not fully guaranteed for next season—remains a part of those pursuits will be revealed over the coming months.
