Grade the Trade: Warriors send franchise icon to join LeBron in heartbreaking pitch

The end of the dynasty has officially arrived.

The Golden State Warriors achieved a level of success few teams in NBA history have reached. Four championships, six trips to the NBA Finals, the greatest regular season in league history. The core of this team fit together in a special way around a generational talent in Stephen Curry and revolutionized basketball as they dominated the league.

Perhaps the dynasty ended when Andre Iguodala retired, as he was present for all four titles. Perhaps it ended this season when a healthy Warriors team couldn’t even make the playoffs. Yet with Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson all together, it seemed this group always had a chance to recapture the magic, as they did in winning the 2022 championship.

Klay Thompson is leaving the Warriors

That hope is extinguished, as The Athletic and others are reporting that Klay Thompson intends to leave the Warriors and sign with another team. The Warriors didn’t prioritize a new deal and Klay is looking to land both money and appreciation elsewhere. At the end of his career, however, he is looking to land with a contender.

Teams with cap space will court Thompson, but a trio of teams over the salary cap are also hoping to sign the veteran sharpshooter: the Dallas Mavericks, the LA Clippers, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Could Klay Thompson really end up on the Los Angeles Lakers? Could he truly team up with LeBron James, enemy No. 1 for the Warriors' dynasty? It certainly seems possible, so let's dig into the different ways he could be brought in and discuss a trade construction the Lakers could suggest to get this done.