Klay Thompson Joins the Mavericks
After a storied 13-year career with the Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson has signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks. This marks a significant shift in the NBA landscape and signals the end of an era for the Warriors, where Thompson was an integral part of their success.
During his time with the Warriors, Thompson won four championships and developed a reputation as one of the league’s elite shooters and defenders. However, the past few years have been challenging for the star guard. Thompson suffered devastating injuries, tearing his ACL and Achilles tendon in consecutive summers, which sidelined him for the entire 2019-20 season and the one that followed. Despite these setbacks, Thompson made a triumphant return, playing a crucial role in the Warriors’ 2022 title victory.
The divorce between Thompson and the Warriors has been gradual, stretching over the last five years. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, “The answer to all this is likely somewhere in the middle. The Warriors valued Thompson, just not as much as he desired. They would've loved to have him back on their terms, but not on his. According to Slater, Thompson's decision to leave 'became easy when the Warriors kicked him down the summer pecking order.'”
Thompson was in the third season of a five-year, $189 million contract with Golden State when the Warriors offered him a two-year, $48 million extension before last season. Thompson turned down this offer, leading to increased tension. This was also a period when the Warriors were extending other key players, such as Jordan Poole with a $123 million contract and a finalized four-year, $100 million deal for Draymond Green last summer.
Towards the end of his tenure with Golden State, Thompson found himself removed from the starting and closing lineups at different points last season. This indicated a shift in the team’s strategy and priorities, further fueling the separation. The Warriors were also facing financial constraints, aiming to get below the luxury-tax line, which may have influenced their offers to Thompson.
The departure was not without internal conflict. “The Warriors and Thompson have differing versions of the firmness of the offer and, again, the true desire of the franchise's lead decision-makers in valuing him as a can't-lose member of the core,” Slater noted. Behind the scenes, Thompson even requested that teammate Stephen Curry refrain from using his significant organizational influence to push for his return. “It's been a layered five-year path to this divorce, splintering last season, sprouting earlier and finalizing in the last couple weeks. Among the conversations Thompson had, league sources said, was a request of Stephen Curry not to exert his significant organizational influence and up the temperature with management to ensure Thompson's return. Curry's measured voice, even if it altered the outcome, wouldn't change the genuineness of Joe Lacob and the front office's true desire to have Thompson back,” Slater revealed.
As Thompson transitions to the Mavericks, he brings with him a wealth of experience and a championship mindset. Dallas hopes his presence will strengthen their roster and provide the leadership needed to make a deep playoff run. For the Warriors, this signifies a new chapter as they reconfigure their team dynamics and financial strategy moving forward.
Klay Thompson’s departure from the Warriors ends one of the most successful run of any team’s history. As the Mavericks welcome their new star, both organizations find themselves navigating the complexities of change in pursuit of continued success.