Warriors Rumors: Klay Thompson Would've Come off Bench for GSW amid Mavs Contract

Klay Thompson's 13-year tenure with the Golden State Warriors is over after the veteran shooting guard signed with the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million deal.

According to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, if the five-time All-Star had returned to the Warriors, he would have come off the bench for sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski rather than starting.

"If Thompson had returned to Golden State, the Warriors planned to bring Thompson off the bench behind sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski, sources said, after Golden State started its prized rookie for a good stretch during the second half of last season," Fischer wrote.

Thompson started for most of the season, but he came off the bench 14 times throughout the year. It was the most he had come off the bench in one season since his rookie year in 2011-12.

Last year, Thompson had his worst numbers since his sophomore season in 2012-13. He averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 38.7 percent from deep—the second-lowest mark of his career.

While the 34-year-old was still productive, he was not the player the Warriors had gotten used to over the last decade or so.

Though he was a key part of Golden State's dynasty, his last game in a Warriors uniform is one to forget as Thompson failed to score while shooting 0-of-10 from the field. The poor outing was a key example of why the team planned to bench him next year.

The player who will likely start in Thompson's place, Podziemski, is coming off a solid rookie season. He put up 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while playing 26.6 minutes per game, mostly off the bench.

The 2023 No. 19 overall pick showed promise in his first year, and he's likely due to make a jump in his sophomore season, especially if he's promoted to a full-time starter.