There is no replacing Klay Thompson and what he has meant to the Warriors for more than a decade, but general manager Mike Dunleavy is optimistic about how the team will move forward without a third of its Big Three.
Speaking to Mark Jones and Doris Burke during ESPN's broadcast of Golden State's NBA Summer League matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday in Las Vegas, Dunleavy detailed how the team plans to adjust to life without its beloved Splash Bro and some of the important variables needed for its reset.
"I think it's keeping some of the continuity and a lot of the things that we've done over the years," Dunleavy said. "A lot of that's not going to change. Obviously, at times, some cases do, and in this case -- a rather large one. But we're excited about our young group we have, a couple guys out here tonight, that we think can fill in, and some guys we've added. That's just sort of how things evolve with organization [and] with teams.
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"As I said the other day, nothing lasts forever. Here we are pivoting to something different. And I think it's going to be good. We're excited about the things we've done, and in many ways, can have a better team."
In the historic six-team trade that sent Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors acquired Buddy Hield from the Philadelphia 76ers and Kyle Anderson from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Additionally, after waiving veteran point guard Chris Paul, Golden State signed free-agent guard De'Anthony Melton to a contract.
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While Dunleavy believes the Warriors can have a better team than last season's, in which they finished as the Western Conference's No. 10 seed and missed the NBA playoffs, he knows Thompson's absence in the Bay will be heavy while maintaining a positive outlook on the situation.
"Obviously it goes without saying, but we're going to really miss Klay Thompson," Dunleavy said. "Just his presence, obviously his shooting, but just everything he's meant to this franchise. It'll be different once camp starts and once we get going with practice, especially for Draymond [Green] and Steph [Curry] and Steve [Kerr], it'll be a bit of a shock.
"But I think Klay's in a great spot and we'll move forward and I think everything's going to be all right."
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