Mavericks Considered Favorites to Land Klay Thompson as Split With Warriors an 'Inevitability'

Klay Thompson's remaining time with the Golden State Warriors could be measured in hours, with an insider reporting that he could be headed to the Dallas Mavericks when free agency starts on June 30.

NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that there is “strong mutual interest" between Thompson and the reigning Western Conference champions on a new contract. Stein added that there is no significant movement toward a new contract with the Warriors.

"The prospect of Klay Thompson leaving the only team he has ever known is suddenly looking more and more like an inevitability as NBA free agency draws near," Stein wrote.

Thompson is coming off a season where he averaged 17.9 points per game, the lowest mark since his second year in the league in 2012-13. He fell out of the starting lineup for the first time since his rookie season.

Stein added that the relationship between Thompson and the Warriors is growing worse by the day, leaving an opening for the Mavericks to jump in the lead.

"With the Warriors and Thompson nowhere close to a contract agreement after a tumultuous season marked by fractious negotiations, multiple sources have indicated that the Mavericks are likely to emerge as the favorite to sign the shooting guard," he wrote.

Related: Klay Thompson Contract: Shams Charania Says $48 Million Extension Off the Table

Stein reported that the Warriors are instead focusing their energy on another player, Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George.

"Yet as The Stein Line has been reporting since Monday, Golden State has this week focused on the trade pursuit of George above all other business," Stein wrote. "And that, after months of spotty and now scant contact between the sides, has only further chilled the state of Thompson's relationship with the team that selected him No. 11 overall out of Washington State in the 2011 NBA Draft."