Warriors sign former Klay Thompson enemy

It has 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 Golden State. McGruder will compete for a roster spot during training camp, Charania adds.

The 32-year-old McGruder, an undrafted player brought to semi-prominence by the Miami Heat, is a fierce defender and can 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 in 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 he was “probably mad” that he “might be out [of] the league soon.”

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

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