In a seismic shift within the NBA landscape, Klay Thompson has signed with the Dallas Mavericks, marking the end of a storied 13-year tenure with the Golden State Warriors. The sharpshooter secured a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks, bringing one of the Splash Brothers to Dallas.
Thompson's departure from the Warriors concludes a remarkable chapter in which he helped the team secure four NBA championships. However, this decision is steeped in a complex history of injuries, negotiations, and changing team dynamics that have culminated in this unexpected move. Thompson's career with the Warriors was nothing short of stellar, but it was also marred by significant injuries. He tore his ACL and Achilles tendon in consecutive summers, sidelining him for the entire 2019-20 season and the one that followed. Despite these setbacks, he played a crucial role in the Warriors’ 2022 title victory.
Thompson was in the third season of a five-year, $189 million contract with Golden State but found himself grappling with reduced standing on the team. Notably, he was at times removed from starting and closing lineups last season. This period of flux coincided with other significant financial decisions by the Warriors’ front office. The team extended Jordan Poole with a $123 million contract and finalized a four-year, $100 million deal for Draymond Green last summer. These moves were part of a broader strategy as the Warriors were aiming to get below the luxury-tax line.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic provides crucial context to these developments. According to Slater, “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.” The Warriors did offer Thompson a two-year, $48 million extension before last season—a proposal he ultimately turned down. As Slater explained, “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.”
Thompson's decision to leave may have been further influenced by internal team dynamics and external conversations. Slater elaborates: “It's been a layered five-year path to this divorce, splintering last season, sprouting earlier and finalizing in the last couple weeks, where—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.”
This confluence of factors made Thompson’s decision to leave the Warriors "easy when the Warriors kicked him down the summer pecking order," as observed by Slater. The potential of trading for Paul George, another high-stakes option for the Warriors, added another layer of complexity to Thompson's situation.
For the Mavericks, this acquisition represents a strategic bolstering of their roster, bringing in a player of Thompson's caliber and experience. While the Warriors will undoubtedly miss Thompson’s presence, it is clear that both sides have opted to move in directions best aligned with their evolving objectives.
As Thompson embarks on this new chapter with the Mavericks, his legacy with the Warriors remains intact, a testament to a remarkable journey marked by triumphs and trials. The NBA awaits to see how this move influences the dynamics of both teams in the upcoming season.