Mychal Thompson says he's "really disappointed" Klay chose Dallas over Lakers: "It was close"

Klay Thompson will be shooting three-pointers for the Dallas Mavericks next season. But before the 34-year-old decided to team up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, his dad tried to get him to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mychal played for the Showtime Lakers and has worked with the team in various capacities since his retirement—he is currently the Lakers' radio color commentator. According to the retired big man, this was the perfect opportunity for his son to come home. Klay, however, had other plans.

"Obviously, it's Klay's decision. It's his life. He's a grown man, 34 years of age, just like we were at 34. Our father used to give us advice, and we would go on to choose our own path, and that's fine. That's what life is supposed to be about," Mychal said on SiriusXM.

A disappointed father

According to Mychal, Klay told him the Lakers and Mavs were eyeing him as a free agent. At that point, the older Thompson said he tried his best to sell the Purple and Gold to his son because he saw it as the perfect destination for his next chapter.

Mychal said the Lakers have been very good to him and his family. He also said that after spending decades working with the organization, he wanted Klay to experience what it's like playing in L.A.

"But I'm really disappointed," added Mychal. "I was hoping — hoping, as you can assess — that he would be a Laker. It was close. It came down to the Lakers and Mavs, but the Mavs won out, but you know me, I was hoping and praying that he'd finish his career with the Lakers."

Why Klay chose Dallas

Thompson also took a pay cut to join Dallas. There were reports that the Lakers offered him a four-year deal worth $80 million, significantly more than the $50 million, three-year contract he signed with the Mavs.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski , Thompson took less money to play in Dallas with the goal of winning a fifth NBA championship. The Mavericks reached the 2024 NBA Finals this past season and have a better shot at returning to the Finals than the Lakers. Woj also said that Klay expects to offset the disparity in contract money with the state tax rate difference.

It was also reported that LeBron James called Klay when free agency started. But that, too, did not work.

Related: "It's a slap in the face. It's very disrespectful" – Kenyon Martin believes the Warriors did Klay Thompson wrong in their contract negotiations