As the new NBA season approaches, all eyes are on Klay Thompson’s surprising move to the Dallas Mavericks, leaving the Golden State Warriors after 13 seasons. Thompson, who formed one of the most iconic duos with Stephen Curry, signed a three-year, $50 million deal with the Mavericks, marking one of the biggest free-agent signings of the offseason.
Most expected Thompson to finish his career alongside Curry in Golden State, but his decision to part ways stunned the basketball world. After winning four championships with the Warriors, Thompson decided to start a new chapter in Dallas.
However, not everyone is shocked by the move. In fact, former Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who drafted Thompson in 2011, believes it was a smart decision.
“I think in an ideal world, Klay Thompson finishes his career with the Golden State Warriors. But you know how this business is,” Jackson said via Sway’s Universe. “The loyalty only works one way, and that’s not a knock on the Warriors—that’s just the way the sports world is. Everybody doesn’t get to sign a deal at the end like Derek Jeter. Truth be told, you look back and they probably should have let him go as great as he was.”
Jackson continued, “Klay Thompson is going to be fine, and it’s a great pickup for the Dallas Mavericks. Unfortunately, he didn’t end his career with the Warriors, but that’s not the way the world works.”
Mavericks’ plans for Klay Thompson differ from the Warriors
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has shared how the team plans to use Thompson in a different role than he had with Golden State. Instead of Thompson constantly running through screens in Golden State’s motion-heavy offense, Dallas plan to ease his workload and let him focus primarily on shooting.
“He’s someone you have to guard closely because he’s going to knock down 40% of his shots. At Golden State, he was always running around and coming off screens. That’s not really our style,” Cuban said via Roommates Show. “We’ll run some plays like that for him, but mostly, he’ll be positioned in the corners or on the wings, catching and shooting from Luka [Dončić] and Kyrie [Irving]. Hopefully, it makes his life a lot easier.”
Kyrie Irving’s crucial role in Thompson’s signing
In an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Dubs Talk”, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd discussed the recruitment process, highlighting Kyrie Irving’s critical role in convincing Thompson to join Dallas.
“When it comes to recruitment, a lot of people were part of the process,” Kidd said on Dubs Talk. “But one of the biggest factors was Kai [Irving]. Kai was able to connect with Klay, player to player, and share his experience of what it’s been like in Dallas over the past two years. He gave Klay an honest assessment of what he thinks could happen with him on board.”