Nov 16, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) reacts during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Foolish Mavericks projected trade sends Klay Thompson back to Warriors

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated May 25, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Klay Thompson didn't have the season he imagined when he left the Golden State Warriors, the only franchise he had ever played for, to sign with the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade. He was expecting to be the missing piece for a team that lost in the NBA Finals, but that team ended up crumbling because of injuries and the horrific Luka Doncic trade.

Thompson himself played fine, averaging 14 PPG while shooting 39.1% from three. He's far from the player he was in his prime as an elite defender, but he's a smart veteran and still an elite shooter.

Meanwhile, Golden State is trying to figure out how to best retool around Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler as they enter the latter stages of their career. Would they be interested in a reunion with Thompson?

Jedd Pagaduan of ClutchPoints has projected a trade sending Klay Thompson back to the Bay in exchange for Moses Moody and Gui Santos.

"Klay Thompson may not be the player he once was, and he's had his fair share of playoff stinkers over the past few years. But if the Warriors were to make another deep playoff run, it's only right that Thompson be a part of it.

"Thompson should at least be better than the version of Moody that showed up in the 2025 NBA playoffs. Moody stunk up the joint and ended up being outside of the rotation until injuries forced the Dubs to bring him back in.

"And now that the Warriors won't expect Thompson to be the secondary scoring option for the Warriors, there will be less pressure on him to produce, which should in turn yield better results."

Moses Moody was fine in the regular season, averaging 9.8 PPG while shooting a career-high 37.4% from three, but he was downright bad in the postseason. In the second round against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he averaged just 3.6 PPG while shooting 22.2% from the floor. Gui Santos saw his playing time slightly increase, but he doesn't have a high enough ceiling to make this trade worth it without any draft capital, especially if Thompson doesn't want to return to Golden State. It's hard to imagine this being a serious consideration.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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