Steve Kerr Says Warriors Will 'Miss' Klay Thompson After Mavs Contract: 'We Love Him'

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says his team will miss Klay Thompson after a sign-and-trade deal sent the 11-season Warriors veteran to the Dallas Mavericks.

"I just want to say thank you to Klay Thompson for 13 incredible years, ten of which I was there for," Kerr said Saturday during USA Basketball training camp (h/t the Washington Post's Ben Golliver)."What he did for the team, the organization, for the Bay Area, for me personally... has been so meaningful and so amazing."

Kerr continued: "These things rarely go like you want, where you get to draw it up and then execute it and then everybody goes out together. We were hoping that could happen, but it didn't.

"We wish Klay well, but we love him, and we'll miss him, and Klay, if you're watching, thank you for everything."

Thompson helped the Warriors win four NBA titles between 2015 and 2022. He was also a member of USA Basketball's gold medal-winning 2016 Olympics squad.

NBA insiders including ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the sign-and-trade that ended Thompson's 13-year tenure with the Warriors on July 1.

The same day, the Warriors released a statement thanking Thompson for his "incredibly and legendary contributions with the Warriors."

"The amount of joy and happiness that Klay provided the Warriors fans... has been immense and cannot be minimized," the statement read.

Thompson also shared a statement of his own thanking the Warriors on social media:

Kerr made it clear prior to the sign-and-trade that his preference would be to re-sign Thompson, who has played for the Warriors ever since Kerr was named a first-year head coach in 2014.

"Klay has been such an integral part of everything around here... we want Klay back desperately. I want him back desperately," Kerr said in a June 25 appearance on the Jim Rome Show.

Despite Kerr's high opinion of the veteran, the Warriors reportedly prioritized other goals heading into free agency, leaving Thompson without any contract offer as late as June 22 (h/t The Athletic's Anthony Slater.)

Thompson's final ask of the Warriors was a two-year, $40 million deal, which the team turned down, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews reported.

The veteran guard then left for Dallas on a three-year, $50 million deal.

Thompson's role may have decreased last season as he averaged 17.9 points per game, his lowest production total since 2014, while shooting 38.7 from deep.

It nonetheless sounds like Kerr will miss having Thompson in the rotation as the Warriors look to maintain their status as one of the most dangerous three-point teams in the league without one of their longest-tenured veterans next fall.