Goodbye Warriors, thanks for the memories. Klay Thompson's departure spells dynasty's end

The Golden State Warriors with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were a treat, providing entertainment, drama and a dynasty that changed the way basketball is played and viewed.

Those days are over. And perhaps they were unofficially over a year ago when the Warriors lost in the Western Conference semifinals.

The triumvirate that spearheaded four titles in eight seasons, including three in four seasons, has splintered with Thompson agreeing to a deal with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

In Thompson’s last game with the Warriors, he had zero points on 0-for-10 shooting from the field and 0-for-6 on 3-pointers. The end had arrived for both sides.

This move is very much about the Mavericks trying to improve their roster after losing to the Boston Celtics 4-1 in the NBA Finals.

But it’s also very much about the Warriors – what they were and what they no longer are.

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In today’s NBA, it’s increasingly difficult for a star to remain with the same team for his entire career. As teams shift strategies (financial, rebuilding, reshaping), star players either don’t want to be part of those plans or are excluded from them. Teams and players move on.

Maybe Curry finishes his career with Golden State. But no one will be surprised if he doesn’t. The Warriors need to figure out their future. They didn’t make the playoffs in 2023-24, and they are not among the top teams headed into 2024-25.

Thompson and Curry were major players in the Great 3-point Revolution. Each player shooting upwards of 10 3s per game was normal, and the Warriors crushed teams with their ability to spread the floor, tax the defense and make 3s. When they were on, there were no defensive answers.

Thompson is No. 6 on the all-time 3-pointers made list and will pass Reggie Miller for fifth in 2024-25. No teammates shot the ball like Curry, No. 1 all-time in 3s made, and Thompson. The Warriors’ offense at times was impossible to defend as Golden State won championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. That last title was a send-off. The West was getting deeper, the Warriors older and nothing lasts forever.

In the 2022 Final between Boston and Golden State, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and then-assistant coach Joe Mazzulla watched that shooting upend Boston.

Which leads to the present. Not every team has a Curry or Thompson, but making 3s is necessary to win. Boston attempted and made more 3s than any team in the league in 2023-24, and Dallas’ lack of shooting was exposed in the Finals.

The Celtics, now coached by Mazzulla, crushed the Mavs on 3-pointers in the Final, outscoring Dallas 210-144 from that distance in a five-game series.

The Mavericks need better shooters, and Thompson, 34 years old and a future Hall of Famer, can provide that. He’s not the All-NBA or All-Defense Klay Thompson – or even an All-Star – but alongside Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, he helps the Mavs.

Enough to get back to the Finals? That’s difficult. The 2018 and 2019 Warriors are the last team to appear in consecutive Finals, and the West is stacked with quality teams.

Thompson in a Mavs jersey will take a moment to get used to no matter how anticipated his departure from Golden State was.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt