All good things must come to an end.
Klay Thompson, a critical piece of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty, has agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks that includes a player option, according to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Thompson’s move to ‘Big D’ comes as part of a multiteam sign-and-trade that will take some to officially come together. The trade will also send Mavericks guard Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets, sources said. The Mavericks and Warriors are still hammering out the details of the deal, which will also include the Hornets sending Dallas a pair of second-round picks for Green. One of those picks could possibly end up in Golden State’s possession, a source said.
The 34-year-old, 13-year veteran out of Washington State University, has put up impactful numbers, averaging 19.6 points on 45/41/86 shooting splits, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 11 seasons with the Warriors, making five All-Star appearances and winning four championships. Thompson missed two seasons with devasting knee injuries.
Embed from Getty ImagesThompson is still one of the league’s best 3-point shooters, knocking down 39% of his nine 3-point attempts per game this past season. He has lost a step, both off the dribble and on the defensive end of the court, since missing the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons to a torn left ACL and ruptured right Achilles, respectively. He made his way back from both midway through the 2021-22 campaign and helped the Warriors to win a fourth title and complete their dynasty against the Boston Celtics in 2022.
Thompson’s workload has diminished to some degree, even as he puts up nearly double-digit 3s per game. His usage rate dropped to 24.2%. He attempted fewer shots per game (14.7) than he has since his rookie season. He also played less than 30 minutes per game for the first time over a full season since his rookie campaign, even being relegated to a bench role for a significant period of time, which he grew frustrated by. His 17.9 points per game this past season were as inconsistent as ever.
Thompson is one of the game’s all-time great shooters at a time when the game calls for them. Often overshadowed by his Splash Brother in Golden State, Stephen Curry, Thompson needs 79 made 3s to catch Indiana Pacers legend and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller for fifth place on the career 3-point field goals list. He made 268 last season, and his 301 in 2022 led the NBA. His career percentage from distance (41.3%) also ranks among the top 20 in history.
Thompson is also one of the game’s best and interesting people off the court. He and his bulldog Rocco, who was born on April 20, have regularly taken a boat as their mode of transportation to work in the Bay Area. He appreciates life’s simple pleasures, like scaffolding. This seems like a good thing for a locker room. That and the flame-throwing he does from beyond the arc.
