The late Jerry West strongly opposed the Warriors potentially trading Klay Thompson to the Minnesota Timberwolves for former NBA All-Star Kevin Love in 2014.
So much so, that it long has been understood that West was prepared to leave Golden State had the franchise pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal.
But Bob Myers doesn’t remember the story that way. Instead, the former Warriors' president and general manager revealed a much calmer outlook on the Thompson-trade dramatics when talking to 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny and Guru” on Wednesday.
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“That is like this mythical story,” Myers told Matt Steinmetz and Daryle Johnson. “And I always tell people, that was as close as people thought because nothing was going on in the NBA -- that story dragged -- so I tell people we never got as close as people think -- they don’t believe me, or whatever.
“Had that deal been close, we would’ve requested Kevin Love’s medical, because he had some medical stuff going on, and we never did. Sure, our job is to look at it. It never got to the point where we wanted to do it and Jerry said, ‘If we do it, I’m out of here.’ It never got to that level, but it’s a fun story for people to tell. And people remember it in such a way.”
Steiny: “It’s fair to say he didn’t want to do that trade?” (Klay for Kevin Love)
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) June 12, 2024
Bob Myers: “No, he definitely didn’t want to.” pic.twitter.com/A0gsQZ61Yn
Love, of course, was in his prime during his Timberwolves days.
Golden State Warriors
During the 2014-15 NBA season, Love averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Thompson was averaging 18.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists -- not yet the top-10 NBA MVP finalist he’d be the following season.
Fortunately for the Warriors and Dub Nation, no trade for Love ever saw the light of day, and four NBA championships later, Thompson just finished his 13th season with the franchise.
Myers is adamant that the trade never had any life, and that Golden State appreciates Thompson like no other -- then and now.
“We all love Klay,” Myers said. “People want to say that had Jerry not stepped in, that wasn’t -- Joe [Lacob] loves Klay, I love Klay, Steve [Kerr], everybody. [Jerry] was a big fan, and that kind of took on a life of its own. But I don’t know if I can ever talk that one down.”
Love, childhood friend of Thompson, ultimately would become a long-time Warriors rival as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the two franchises met four consecutive times in the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018.
Thompson and the Warriors beat Love and the Cavs in three of the four Finals matchups.
Myers, like Dub Nation and all NBA fans, will dearly miss West.
However, Myers doesn’t want any stories to get twisted.
“He did not want to do it,” Myers added, referring to the idea of trading Thompson. “But to the point that everybody else did, that part isn’t true. But he definitely didn’t want to.”
West, among so many other powerful things, was a prideful Thompson fan and proponent of Golden State’s dynasty.
The logo was not going anywhere.