Jason Kidd reveals how Kyrie Irving was the driving force behind Klay Thompson's arrival to the Mavs

Klay Thompson is regarded as one of the best three-point shooters ever. Thompson played 11 seasons with the Golden State Warriors and helped them win four NBA Championships. However, Klay's run with the Dubs ended after last season.

The 34-year-old failed to reach a contract extension that would have likely kept him on the Warriors until the end of his career. As a result, Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks.

Klay will now team up with the dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in hopes of helping the Mavericks win their first title since 2011. The talented trio will play under Jason Kidd, who, after some initial criticism, turned out to be a great coach for this specific squad.

Irving helped the Mavericks sign Thompson

For years, Thompson played a crucial role in keeping the Dubs one of the most talented teams in the NBA. He helped them battle the LeBron James —and Kyrie Irving -led Cleveland Cavaliers in four consecutive NBA Finals.

Ironically, Kai lured the 4x NBA champion to Dallas after his falling out with the Warriors. Kidd revealed that to NBC Sports in a recent interview .

"When you talk about the recruitment, it was a lot of people that were involved in that. But one of the biggest players in that was Kai," Kidd said . "Kai being able to, player to player, (detail) his experience of what Dallas has been like for him in two years and being able to tell Klay the honest truth of what he thinks can happen with Klay coming to Dallas."

Irving was traded to the Mavs during the 2022-23 NBA season. Although he took some time adjusting to playing as the secondary scorer behind Luka Doncic, Kai showcased his talent in the 2023-24 season.

He averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. These are great numbers, considering Doncic is viewed as a ball-dominant guard.

Kidd refuses to steal the credit of Thompson's Mavs move

Kidd is the head coach of the Mavericks, and it's easy for him to take credit for Klay's decision to join the team. However, it would have adversely impacted the team's chemistry.

"I would love to say it was all me," Kidd said. "But it wasn't. It was a team effort. But I think player-to-player – in this league, they all talk about their situations, and they all recruit one another – this was about Kai and Klay being able to talk."

The Mavs coach also credited Thompson with doing his homework and making an effort to leave his comfort zone and move out of California.

Thompson averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game for the Dubs last season. It's excellent output for a 34-year-old veteran with severe injuries in the previous few years. However, Thompson must work on his shooting efficiency before starting the new chapter of his career.

The ex-Warriors star shot an underwhelming 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from the three-point line. It was only the second time in his career that Klay shot below 40% from deep. Luckily for Klay, playing alongside Doncic and Kyrie will help him get a lot of open looks, which might be a blessing in disguise for the experienced sharpshooter.

Related: Shams Charania breaks down why Klay Thompson left the Warriors: “That one has a lot to do with principle”