According to league insiders who spoke with The Athletic, the Golden State Warriors are getting ready to part ways with four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson in free agency. This is a fitting farewell to an iconic dynasty and one of its legacy players.

Team and league sources have stated that the Warriors and Thompson have not communicated much since the beginning of the bargaining session for incumbent free agents almost two weeks ago, and that no offer has been made. Following other matters, the Warriors have intended to return to their original plan and resume negotiations with Thompson. The Warriors’ apparent desire for a reunion is seen by his side as deceitful, thus he is not going to be there as a willing secondary priority in their summer plan. The five-time All-Star guard is adamant about finding a new home for his 14th NBA season and beyond, according to league sources. Both parties believe their 13-year run together is done.

League insiders have said that the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Los Angeles Lakers are all teams that are highly interested in acquiring Klay Thompson. There will likely be interest in Thompson from a number of teams who have salary cap space. Thanks to the salary dump of Tim Hardaway Jr., the Mavericks have created enough cap space to offer the whole projected $12.9 million midlevel to the market. Depending on the terms of LeBron James’ next contract and other matters, the Lakers might potentially produce the same.

The Warriors are reportedly saving $73.2 million after the expected departure of Thompson and the possible departure of Chris Paul’s $30 million non-guaranteed deal, which would leave them operating as a full nontaxpayer midlevel exception team for the first time in almost a decade.

These same sources also indicated that the Warriors would be interested in signing Thompson to a sign-and-trade deal that would increase his salary.

Given the long history between the Warriors and Thompson, this split comes as a huge surprise to the league. However, it has been heading in this direction for a few seasons now. During that time, Thompson’s role changed, the team missed the playoffs, the Warriors drafted (Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski) and extended (Jordan Poole) potential replacements, and he never felt loved by management regarding his solid position in the franchise’s plans, according to league sources.

Into this past summer, that persisted. The Warriors have made it clear that they would like to retain Thompson as a core member, but that doing so would need the right price, the right role, and the right timing.

Their pursuit of free agent-to-be Paul George, an unlikely target, has already been abandoned, but the team has spent the previous two weeks aggressively scouring the trade market in an effort to bolster Stephen Curry’s underwhelming supporting cast.

Feeling the chill of the only franchise he’s ever known, Thompson retaliated by cutting off all contact and making no plans to play in the NBA outside of the Bay Area.

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