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Draymond Green is wrong about the Klay Thompson conversation

Jun 20, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson watches the game between the Dallas Wings and the Chicago Sky during the first half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Draymond Green is wrong about the Klay Thompson conversation

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI | By Mateo Mayorga | Last updated Aug 27, 2026 10:02 AM ET

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Leave it to Draymond Green to come up with a straw man argument as Klay Thompson is enjoying the excitement of Miami Heat fans who love what he has to offer. Green is a more promising media guy now than player, so he needs to ensure people listen to his show by saying controversial or incorrect things.

At this stage, Thompson, who is one of the most prolific snipers in NBA history, is not the All-Star player he used to be, but he’s still capable of being a contributor. It’s unclear where Green got the idea that people are talking about Thompson as if it’s the 2017-18 version of himself, especially after how meaningless his time was in Dallas. This frustrates Green.

Nobody within the Heat thinks they got an in-his-prime all-timer. On top of that, perhaps Green doesn’t think too much of fan intelligence, believing they can’t figure that out about a player who is going into his 16th season, even if he missed two because of injuries.

He wants his former teammate to be compared more to Ray Allen in his last stint with the Heat — which was one question asked at the introductory presser on Tuesday. On top of that, yours truly mentioned that comparison on Fox 35 Orlando on Monday, so Green is incorrect that Thompson’s reputation is being built up to be torn down.

He doesn’t understand what this is like because he never had the nerve to leave Stephen Curry to really test his skills. Perhaps if he left Golden State, fans in another city would be as excited that Green’s defensive prowess would boost their team.

Yet, the most interesting thing he mentioned was that he was fairly sure Thompson would have picked another team if he didn’t tear his ACL in the 2019 Finals. He pointed this out in the discussion over who was better between his former teammate or Ray Allen. Of course, he’s picking Thompson, who never got to be the first option full-time, and it was accurately stated that the sharpshooter was catching the schemes when Curry was injured for six games of the 2016 playoffs.

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Insights into Personality

The other interesting observation is that Green said Thompson moves to beat of his own drum, which could be an interesting fit within Heat culture. It’s possible there’s never a hiccup between them if he buys in, but consider how recently Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry were guys that could be described in a similar manner, too, and that brought awkward moments with the team.

Butler is a difficult but sometimes profound contrarian. Lowry never bought into the stuff about being in Heat- shape and he was given a pass others don’t get. Before that, Allen wasn’t thrilled about some of the ways the team made older players do things. Nonetheless, he was still a good soldier who hit the biggest shot in NBA Finals history, helping the Heat win their third title.

On top of that, lots of guys saw the big picture when Miami loaded up and sacrificed for others. One of the best examples was Jason Williams, who triumphantly celebrated in 2006 by repeating that he was not a cancer. Even Shaquille O'Neal knew when to take a step back because Dwyane was inevitable.

Thompson is no stranger to sacrifice, being a four-time champion. He learned about some of that from his father, Mychal, the former top pick in 1978 who later was the backup big man for back-to-back titles on the Los Angeles Lakers. Now that he’s on a team that can cover his weaknesses at age 36, he should get in where he fits in.

This article first appeared on Miami Heat on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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