Klay Thompson will start the 2024-25 season on the Dallas Mavericks, ending his 13-year association with the Warriors after agreeing to a sign-and-trade. The Mavericks beat out the Lakers, who had LeBron James personally recruit Thompson at the start of free agency. Marc Stein and Chris Haynes reported that Kyrie Irving did the same to Klay in an attempt to combat James and the Lakers.
Marc Stein: “Klay Thompson had face-to-face meetings with both the Lakers and Mavericks in L.A. on Sunday night, league sources say. In addition, Dallas had Klay’s former USA Basketball teammate Kyrie Irving to counter recruiting from LeBron James.”
Chris Haynes: “Kyrie Irving was a big pivotal somebody who was very instrumental in recruiting Klay Thompson to Dallas, he was in Klay Thompson’s ear. That’s always gonna speak volumes. You know the mutual respect that Kyrie and Klay have for each other, being in those duels between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.”
Chris Haynes says Kyrie was big part in recruiting Klay 👀 pic.twitter.com/SVCDhgtDG8
— Ky🤞🏽 (@kyriegotgame) July 1, 2024
It’s funny how time changes things in the NBA. Klay Thompson was one of the biggest rivals of both LeBron and Kyrie during their repeated Finals matchups, and now Klay was recruited by those two players to leave the Warriors after winning four titles with them.
Klay averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists last season, watching his Warriors’ tenure end on a very sour note. Thompson signed on a three-year, $50 million contract, giving the Mavs a slight discount compared to what the Lakers had offered him.
The signing was completed via a three-team trade which saw the Mavericks offload Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets and send two second-round picks to the Warriors.
The reduced price to join the Mavs was helped by the state having no income tax as well as an NBA Finals roster in place with a 25-year-old superstar in Luka Doncic. Irving being in Klay’s ear definitely helped, and now we’re going to see the former rivals team up to bring the city of Dallas their second NBA title in history.
Klay Thompson’s Jersey Will Be Retired By The Warriors
The Golden State Warriors might not have loved the way Klay engineered his exit. He had a poor season where he reportedly was a negative presence in the locker room, turned down $48 million for a bigger payday, and ultimately settled for an under-$20 million contract on a Western Conference rival.
Despite all of that, Klay’s legacy as one of the greatest Warriors ever is secure. As the Warriors announced his exit in a press release, they made it known that Klay will definitely get a jersey retirement one day for his contributions to the Warriors dynasty.
“Klay’s legacy will live on forever and we look forward to the day we can retire his #11 jersey at Chase Center, where he will join a host of Warriors immortals, including those who helped shape this recent dynasty— himself included.”
Over 13 years with the Warriors, Klay averaged 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, shooting 41.3% from three over that stretch. He played an instrumental role in bringing home four NBA Championships from six NBA Finals appearances.
Thompson made five All-Star games, two All-NBA teams, one All-Defensive team, and rewrote the NBA record book with his 14 threes in a game against the Bulls (most in NBA history) and his 37-point quarter against the Sacramento Kings.
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