Former Boston Celtics star and NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce told Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green that the team needs to bring back Klay Thompson this offseason.
Pierce referenced the issues that Boston had with Ray Allen when he left the Big 3 that included himself, Pierce and Kevin Garnett to join the Miami Heat – one of Boston’s biggest rivals during Pierce’s later years of his career with the Celtics.
“We just lost to Miami, by the way,” Pierce said after discussing how close he and Allen were.
Pierce revealed that the two hung out with their families and kids together.
“And I’m like, ‘Alright, we just need to regroup, get a couple more young dudes. Then we gon’ re-sign Ray. We gon’ stay aligned up our contracts and finish this thing out together.’
“And by the way, I hope y’all bring Klay back. Y’all need to finish together. I hope that’s an example of how we went, and y’all don’t do that.”
Green agreed with Pierce, nodding his head and saying “absolutely” when the former Celtics star mentioned keeping Thompson in Golden State. Pierce went on to discuss that he wished that Allen had called and told him that he was going to leave Boston because he wasn’t getting the contract or role that he wanted.
The Warriors’ Big 3 of Green, Thompson and Stephen Curry could be facing the same situation this coming offseason.
Thompson is set to become a free agent in the offseason, and he reportedly turned down a two-year, $48 million extension from the team this past offseason.
Green, who signed a four-year deal with Golden State prior to the 2023-24 season, and Curry are both under contract through the 2025-26 season (Green also has a player option for the 2026-27 season).
In an ideal scenario, the Warriors would be able to bring Thompson back on a deal that runs through the 2025-26 campaign to keep the group together. Curry, Thompson and Green have won four titles together with the Warriors and turned the team into one of the premier franchises in the NBA.
This season, Thompson has seen his role change, as he was moved to the bench recently by head coach Steve Kerr. The change has allowed Golden State to start rookie guard Brandin Podziemski.
Golden State is 6-1 when Thompson comes off the bench this season, and he’s had a few big games in that role, scoring 35 points in a win over the Utah Jazz and 25 in a win over the Washington Wizards.
Pierce clearly knows what it feels like to have a close teammate – including one that he won a title with – leave before he would have liked. Hopefully, Green and Curry don’t end up in the same situation when it comes to Thompson.
