The basketball community is engaged in a debate after Klay Thompson made his decision to join the Dallas Mavericks. Most NBA fans will know that Thompson did not play too well for the Warriors last season and underperformed greatly in their play-in tournament elimination game. Since Klay was on an expiring contract, many wondered how the Warriors would deal with the situation.
Upon finding out that Klay Thompson was looking to leave the Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers immediately entered the scene with several reports claiming that they were among the frontrunners. While it may have been interesting to see Thompson on the Lakers, members of the media recently broke the story on Klay’s reasoning for picking the Dallas Mavericks over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Klay Thompson was reportedly offered a bigger contract with the Lakers
This situation between Klay and the Warriors was going on for a while. Although the Warriors ended up giving large contracts to players like Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Draymond Green, they simply did not want to make a similar offer to Klay.
One can certainly understand why he may have felt insulted. After all, Thompson played an integral role in helping the Warriors win 4 NBA championships and establish itself as a dynasty in the modern era of basketball. Klay left Golden State and ended up signing a 3-year contract worth $50 million with the Dallas Mavericks.
Senior NBA reporters Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews revealed that Klay did not want to join the Lakers for an interesting reason.
Klay Thompson reportedly wanted a “fresh start” and felt that playing for the Lakers was too much like playing for the Warriors, per @ramonashelburne & @kendra__andrews
“James had several deep conversations with Thompson about the idea of playing together, sources said. But… pic.twitter.com/byTBbpj3Ny
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 3, 2024
“James had several deep conversations with Thompson about the idea of playing together, sources said. But something about playing for the Lakers apparently felt too much like playing for the Warriors. As one source close to him put it, Would this be trading one fishbowl for another?”
Reports have also revealed that the Lakers were prepared to offer Klay a 4-year contract for $80 million, making it a better deal when compared to the contract he ended up signing with the Dallas Mavericks. Fans are discussing what the similarities are between the Lakers and Warriors in order for that factor to influence Klay Thompson.
Dallas Mavericks fans are mostly happy with their latest acquisition
Since Klay was scoreless in the Warriors’ last game of the season, he has been slandered to a great extent by the NBA world. Dallas Mavericks fans are now the only fanbase that remembers what Klay has done throughout his career. After all, one bad game or season should not be considered the end of a career.
MAVS JUST WON THE WEST
— Dead President Picks (@DeadPresPicks) July 1, 2024
Klay getting a nice fresh start with Luka n Kyrie.
— GG Era (@ClipNation74) July 1, 2024
Klay Thompson still has a lot left to offer and will be eager to prove that he is a valuable championship-caliber star. If he is able to win a title alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, his legacy will change quite drastically. Fans are left wondering what the Mavs will be able to accomplish this upcoming season.
