Warriors sign former Klay Thompson enemy

Jun 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) warms up before game two of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

It has all come full circle for Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Monday that free agent swingman Rodney McGruder is finalizing a deal with the Warriors. McGruder will compete for a roster spot during training camp, Charania adds.

The 32-year-old McGruder, an undrafted player who was brought to semi-prominence by the Miami Heat, is a fierce defender and can also hit a three-ball. He holds career averages of 5.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game and made a handful of starts last season for the Detroit Pistons.

But the more interesting subplot is McGruder’s history with the Warriors and with Thompson in particular. During a game in 2021, McGruder was on Detroit when he got into an on-court spat with then-Warrior Juan Toscano-Anderson. Thompson, who was injured at the time but serving as a guest broadcaster during the game, lit into McGruder and said McGruder was “probably mad” that he “might be out [of] the league soon.”

You can read more about that incident here (with Draymond Green also firing shots at McGruder at the time).

Fast forward to 2023 though, and McGruder is not only still in the league but now a member of Thompson’s Warriors to boot. Needless to say, those training camp battles between the two should be plenty entertaining. Plus, this continues on the Warriors’ trend of bringing in former enemies this NBA offseason.