On June 30, Beijing time, Warriors reporter Tim Kawakami wrote an article revealing some of the inside story of the team's failure to get George and Thompson's decision to leave.
Kawakami said both the Warriors and Thompson are well prepared for parting ways. An NBA source said over the weekend that there had been a cordial goodbye between Klay and senior members of the Warriors.
Why is Klay reluctant to stay with the Warriors? Because Klay didn't like what he had last season and said it many times. He doesn't like to play as a substitute behind Podemski. He doesn't like it when we ask him questions about his future. He doesn't like the national attention to his occasional struggles, apparently including the night he went 0-for-10 in that game against the Kings. He really doesn't like how the Warriors are putting how to upgrade the roster more than getting him back in the offseason.
If Thompson stays with the Warriors next season, he most likely won't be a starter. The starters will be Podzemski, Moody or someone else.
In April, Thompson said this. "We've had highs and lows. Whether it's losing a championship, winning a championship or missing the playoffs, we've all been through it together, so it really means a lot. I am grateful to spend time with them. It was a historic time. These words now seem more like a farewell.
As for George, the Warriors' offseason home run target, opted to jump out of his contract, ending his final year with the Clippers to become a full free agent, which essentially cut off any realistic path for the Warriors to get George because they didn't have enough salary space to sign him.
Team sources said the Warriors, George and the Clippers had very serious talks before George made the decision to jump out of his contract, and the Warriors thought they were close to acquiring the 34-year-old forward on several occasions.
The Warriors agreed to give George a contract extension of up to four years with a maximum salary when he arrived. They think they've come up with several trade options that the Clippers would be comfortable with. Both Curry and Green are also 100 percent involved. George has strongly stated that he wants to join the Warriors, but the Clippers have never agreed to any kind of trade, and now George is a free agent, basically beyond the Warriors' reach.
Any possible George trade between the Warriors and the Clippers is always complicated, but Warriors executives think they've solved the puzzle. To Kawakami's knowledge, the Warriors have made various combination offers including Wiggins, Paul, Kuminga or Moody, and a future first-round pick (both Wiggins and Kuminga are said not to be offered at the same time), but the Clippers have rejected them.