The Dallas Mavericks made a splash this offseason by acquiring Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors, adding a sharpshooter to bolster their roster. After falling short in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the front office brought Thompson in to inject more versatility into the team’s offense.
During the Mavericks’ media day, Thompson spoke about the adjustments he’ll need to make playing alongside Luka Doncic and how the Mavericks’ offensive style differs from what he experienced in Golden State.
“I think from an Xs and Os standpoint, I have to adjust to playing off such good creators,” Thompson said. “In Golden State, it was a very motion-based offense. Just being able to play with Luka the last few days, his ability in the pick and roll is like maybe the best I’ve ever seen. It will be fun to play with him in those sets because he draws so much attention and creates so many open looks from the perimeter, so I’ll be there to knock them down.”
Thompson is looking forward to the opportunities playing with Doncic will present. “That’s exciting,” Thompson added. “It adds a whole new dimension to our team—having a player like me who can draw the defense just by cutting through the lane or using an off-ball screen, a pindown, and taking two defenders with me.”
Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks warms up prior to a pre-season game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
However, Thompson knows there’s an adjustment period. “But I know I’ll obviously have to adjust to Luka. Luka’s the system, he’s an MVP frontrunner, and that’s a huge reason why I came here—to help alleviate some of the pressure he deals with on a nightly basis, the defenses he sees,” he concluded.
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NBA News: Klay Thompson makes something clear about his last season with the Warriors
Steve Kerr reflects on Thompson’s departure
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently addressed Thompson’s exit in an interview with The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami on The TK Show. Kerr acknowledged that there were indications Thompson was ready to move on.
“Yeah, there were signs,” Kerr said. “Obviously, none of us knew what would happen; we all wanted him to stay. I wanted Klay to be a Warrior for life—it felt like the right thing. But you never really know what the right thing is for someone else; only that person knows. And by the end of the year, I think Klay knew, for his own sake, that he wanted to leave.”
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NBA News: Dallas Mavericks HC makes something clear about Klay Thompson signing
Kerr expressed his support for Thompson’s decision, stating, “I’m happy for him. I think this will be a great move. He’s going to play for a great team with two high-level creators in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, which should give him a lot of open looks. Sometimes a career change, especially late in your career, can really refresh and recharge you.”
As Thompson enters this new chapter with the Mavericks, all eyes will be on how he fits into a new system alongside one of the league’s brightest stars, Luka Doncic.
