Draymond Says Klay Was 90% Gone From Golden State Before the 2019 ACL
Green claims Thompson nearly left the Warriors in 2019 to chase a No. 1 role — then a torn ACL kept him for five more years. Klay's now Miami-bound.
Deep-league flier at best after posting just 17.8 FPTS/G last season.
- Green: 90% chance Klay leaves GSW after 2019 playoffs
- Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6 of 2019 Finals
- Missed 2019-20 fully, then torn Achilles Nov. 2020
- Klay: 17.8 FPTS/G in 2025-26, ranked #245 overall
- Signed 2-year Heat deal Friday after Mavs buyout
Draymond Green just rewrote a chunk of Warriors lore. On the latest episode of his podcast, Green claimed there was a 90 percent chance Klay Thompson was going to walk from Golden State after the 2019 playoffs to chase a No. 1 role somewhere else. The only reason he stayed, per Green, was the torn left ACL Thompson suffered in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against Toronto — weeks before he was set to hit unrestricted free agency.
The comments landed as Thompson finalized a two-year deal with the Miami Heat on Friday, following a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks. That injury didn't just cost Thompson one summer of leverage. He missed the entire 2019-20 season rehabbing the knee, then tore his right Achilles in November 2020, wiping out another year-plus before he returned on Jan. 9, 2022 — roughly two-and-a-half seasons of basketball gone.
Green's larger point was a defense of Thompson's legacy. He pushed back on the idea that Klay was never capable of being a team's top option, arguing the 2017-19 version of Thompson had the goods and simply never got the chance to prove it because of the back-to-back injuries. Green said he studies the history and won't let the 'he couldn't do it' narrative stand.
The Legacy Angle
Whatever you make of the 90 percent figure, it reframes how we remember the Warriors dynasty. Most assumed Thompson was always re-signing in 2019. Green is telling you the opposite was closer to true. Either way, the four-time champ and five-time All-Star is a first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever he hangs it up.
The Fantasy Fallout
Here's the sober part for roster purposes. Thompson posted 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 69 games last season (2025-26, actual), good for 17.8 fantasy points per game and a #245 overall rank in our model. That's not a fantasy asset in standard formats — it's a name that still moves headlines. Green, for the record, sits at #141 overall on 25.1 FPTS/G last season (2025-26, actual), with his last five games running 3.1 below his own average.
Bottom line: the Miami move gives Thompson a new backdrop but doesn't change the math. Treat him as a deep-league or DFS spot-start flier if his role and three-point volume spike in Erik Spoelstra's rotation, and otherwise leave him on waivers. This is a watch, not an add — let the minutes tell you before you spend a roster spot.
