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At the beginning of the off-season the Golden State Warriors were considered the favorites to land All-Star power forward Kevin Love, but when the Minnesota Timberwolves insisted on including Klay Thompson in the deal for Love, things got complicated. The Warriors wanted Love, he is the perfect stretch four in Steve Kerr’s offense and the idea of Steph Curry and Love running the pick and roll got Warriors fans excited. However, losing Klay Thompson in the deal proved to be too costly and the Warriors never pulled the trigger.

The organization was split on including Thompson in a deal for Love. Jerry West and Kerr were adamant about keeping Thompson, even if it meant not acquiring the three time All-Star. Thompson was happy to stay with the Warriors and appreciates his new head coach standing up for him in the off-season amidst all the trade talks. According to Jordan Ramirez, Thompson is eager to play for Kerr and will leave it all on the court for his coach this upcoming season:

Thompson is in the prime of his career and has a lot of room to grow. Coach Kerr was able to see that and Thompson’s play in the FIBA World Cup of Basketball only validated his beliefs. Coach Mike Krzyzewski raved about Thompson while he was coaching him this summer and was one of his favorite players, which is saying a lot with the NBA talent on the Team USA roster. While some fans were disappointed the Warriors couldn’t land Love, keeping Thompson could prove to be one of the smartest decisions this organization has ever made.

Thompson’s relationship with Kerr is off to a great start as the Warriors prepare to get over the hump this season. The Warriors finally have some depth and a decent supporting cast, but it starts with Steph Curry and Thompson. Thompson has yet to sign an extension with the Warriors, but will likely receive a max contract and remain a Warrior for years to come.