Klay Thompson had a decision to make this past summer, and he chose Luka Doncic. According to The Athletic, the Lakers were prepared to offer Thompson a four-year, $80 million contract if the Warriors agreed to a sign-and-trade. But instead of reuniting with LeBron James in Los Angeles, Klay took less money to chase a title in Dallas.
“The Lakers and Thompson discussed a four-year, $80 million deal in free agency that, if the Warriors cooperated in a sign-and-trade, would have dwarfed the three-year, $50 million deal the Mavericks would eventually give him,” reported The Athletic.
Thompson wasn’t focused on the money. It was all about the basketball fit. Between Doncic’s greatness and the chance to play alongside Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks offered a vision that Thompson believed in more than what LA had going with LeBron and Anthony Davis.
“But the allure of Doncic’s greatness was a major pull, as was the chance to partner with Irving in the backcourt. When given the choice between teaming up with the Lakers’ duo of Davis and LeBron James or the Mavericks’ stars, Thompson made a calculated decision to go with the latter. Little did he know that the star player swap to come would leave him on the wrong end of hoops history.”
As one of the most iconic shooters in NBA history, Klay Thompson had several suitors when he hit free agency in 2024. Fresh off a historic run in Golden State, he could have signed anywhere to play out the next act of his career. The Lakers were heavily interested and offered Klay a lucrative deal that surpassed his offer from the Mavericks.
He took a pay cut and joined the Mavs specifically to play with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. He believed they could win it all and replicate the dominance he experienced on the Warriors. He trusted them even over LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who already won a title together in 2020.
That decision has led to regrets for Thompson. This season, with Luka Doncic now on the same Lakers team he could have joined, Klay is stuck watching someone else live out his dream. Meanwhile, he’s slowly wasting away in Dallas, enduring a miserable season with averages of 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on 31.4 percent shooting.
To make matters worse, the Mavericks are 3-8 this season and showing no signs of improvement. Amid relentless fan backlash, they fired their general manager with a full apology from the owner.
Half the roster is now embroiled in trade rumors, including Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. What the Mavs choose to do with them will shape the direction of the franchise for years to come.
At this point, all Thompson can do is ride it out and hope Dallas turns things around. But the Lakers were ready to pay him more, feature him more, and give him a real shot to contend. Now he’s watching that dream unfold without him. It’s a harsh reminder that loyalty to the wrong situation can come at a steep price.
