BREAKING NEWS: Klay Thompson finally set to depart Golden State Warriors
BREAKING NEWS: Klay Thompson finally set to depart Golden State Warriors
The four-time champion hopes to continue the winning culture the Mavs have started building
The Dallas Mavericks went searching for a big fish and have reeled one in as four-time champion and five-time All-Star Klay Thompson has agreed to join the Mavericks on a 3-year, $50 million contract. Thompson chooses the Mavs over a return to Golden State, the only franchise he’s ever played with, the Los Angeles Lakers, the team his dad played for, the LA Clippers, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
To complete the signing, the Mavericks and Warriors have agreed to a sign-and-trade to send Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets as part of a three-team trade. Thompson is coming off a season where he averaged 17.9 PPG while shooting 38.7% from 3. He’s not the player he was at the peak of the Warriors, but he’s still a lethal 3-point shooter and should feast off open looks from Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, who helped the Mavericks generate the most open looks in the NBA this season.
The Mavericks were in desperate need of both a 3-point shooter and a tertiary scorer in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics and filled those needs with the addition of Thompson. They shot just 31.6% from deep in those five games against Boston, which forced extra attention onto Irving and Doncic. Even if Thompson comes off the bench, he’s a much more reliable option than Tim Hardaway Jr. or any other option that the Mavs have had outside of their two superstars.
Derrick Jones Jr. was called the Mavs’ main priority by general manager Nico Harrison this offseason but ended up signing with the LA Clippers. Because Thompson isn’t the defender he used to be, recent acquisitions Quentin Grimes and Naji Marshall will have to take a big share defensively.
Thompson has spent his entire 13-year NBA career with the Warriors, who selected him 11th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft from Washington State. He missed the 2019-20 season after suffering a ruptured ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Raptors, and subsequently tore his Achilles while rehabilitating, forcing him to miss the 2020-21 season as well. Because of this, he is no longer as quick as he once was, but he remains a dynamic shooter, ranking sixth in NBA history with 2,481 made 3-pointers.
It’s a sad day for Warriors fans, who now see their famous “Splash Brothers” pairing of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson come to an end. They’re one of the most accomplished backcourts in NBA history and changed the game of basketball with their shooting abilities.
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