Klay Thompson has agreed to hitch the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million deal, in accordance with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Whereas there was an preliminary holdup over what the Golden State Warriors would obtain within the deal, that problem has since been resolved. The reported transfer will come via a sign-and-trade that can ship Josh Inexperienced to the Charlotte Hornets and two second-round picks to the Warriors. Thompson, a five-time All-Star and four-time champion, has spent his whole profession so far enjoying for the Warriors.
Nonetheless, after years of high-priced luxurious taxes, a number of draft picks spent on guards that would change him and a high-profile and failed pursuit of Paul George, the Warriors have finally elected to not deliver again Thompson, probably clearing the way in which for him to hitch Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas.
The Warriors reportedly supplied Thompson a two-year, $48 million deal final offseason. That’s far smaller than the four-year, $100 million pact Draymond Inexperienced secured as a free agent, and it was additionally considerably decrease than the four-year, $128 million contract Jordan Poole obtained when the Warriors thought he may be Thompson’s long-term alternative at taking pictures guard. Thompson rejected that $48 million provide, and in the course of the season, the Warriors slowly started to rely extra on extra closely on rookie taking pictures guard Brandin Podziemski, even bringing Thompson off of the bench for a stretch.
Now, the trio of Thompson, Inexperienced and Stephen Curry will cut up up after one of many biggest runs any three teammates have ever had. These three gamers have the third-most playoff wins as a trio in NBA historical past with 98, trailing solely Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper (110), in addition to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (126). Curry is the NBA’s all-time chief in 3-pointers with 3,747, and Thompson is at No. 6 with 2,481. In all chance, they may each retire within the prime 5, having spent nearly all of their careers collectively.
However now, they may separate with Thompson heading south to hitch the reigning Western Convention champions. The Dallas offense sputtered within the NBA Finals scoring solely 106.7 factors per 100 possessions. An additional shooter will try this unit a world of excellent, however stylistically, Thompson should regulate to a system that’s, not less than on paper, the precise reverse of the one he’s coming from with the Warriors. Golden State performs a movement offense designed to punish groups for napping off ball. The Mavericks have an extremely heliocentric offense constructed round Doncic’s particular person shot-creation. There are going to should be compromises on either side right here, however with gamers this gifted, that’s possible.
Thompson was additionally reportedly linked to the 2 Los Angeles groups, the Lakers and the Clippers. The suits there made sense given his childhood within the area. His father, Mychal Thompson, performed for the Lakers. However the Lakers had been a Play-In staff final season, and the Clippers misplaced Paul George. The Mavericks will likely be bringing again most of final season’s comparatively younger Western Convention champion, and now solely determine to be extra formidable heading into the 2024-25 season.