Klay Thompson’s No. 11 will cease to exist as Warriors announce they will retire

Note to the Clippers: This is how you do a goodbye letter.

While we’d seen the writing on the wall for months and things seemed inevitable in recent weeks, Monday it became official that Klay Thompson was leaving the Warriors, as they set up a sign-and-trade with his preferred destination, the Dallas Mavericks.

Well done, Warriors. Thompson is a Golden State legend and a future Hall of Famer. He should be welcomed warmly every time he returns to Chase Center.

In his 13 seasons with the Warriors, Thompson was a five-time All-Star, two time All-N BA and a member of an All-Defensive team. While he’s not peak Game 6 Klay anymore, he’s still a very good shooter (38.7%) and will provide value and floor spacing for the Mavericks.

It’s the end of an era — 13 years and four championships. While Thompson had animosity toward the organization’s brass during the negotiations, the team handled his exit with a classy press release saying they will someday retire his No. 11 to the rafters of the Chase Center.