Among the NBA offseason's blockbuster transactions was Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks . In what became a "miserable" season, as described by his former teammate Draymond Green, Thompson found himself in a stay-or-go scenario with the Golden State Warriors. However, staying meant he had to accept the teams' contract terms, which was supposedly a far cry from what he was expecting. While everyone felt that the Warriors didn't do enough to retain one of the greatest shooters of all time, others saw the writing on the wall.
Recently, senior NBA insider Shams Charania appeared on "The OGs" podcast, where he was asked what went down between the Warriors and Klay. Was there really as much tension as it was made out to be?
"I think there's more layers to that one," says Shams. "That one has a lot to do with principle. I think that one has to do with how he felt with the organization over the last couple of years.
"When you're someone who brought four championships there [in Golden State] … and then you see [Andrew] Wiggins get a four-year [contract] extension. Jordan Poole get a four-year extension. You see Draymond Green get a four-year extension. … Specifically for Klay, feeling slighted with the offer. Feeling slighted with his role at different points."
Shams says that he was told by the end of the season that Thompson's departure from the Bay was a foregone conclusion. A mix of things—feeling lowballed on a contract offer, losing his starting role, and others—led to one of the greatest shooters ever leaving a place he called home for 11 years with a bitter taste in his mouth.
The contract situation
Thompson gave his all to the Golden State franchise. After sitting out for two years battling a leg injury, he fought back. However, he wasn't the same Thompson everyone knew: the guy who scored 14 three-pointers in one game, torched the Pacers for 60 points in 29 minutes and set an NBA record for most points in a quarter.
His game declined, as did his role on the team. Thompson was benched in February in favor of rookie guard Brandin Podziemski, perhaps the nail in the coffin for the veteran. He wasn't offered a contract extension in July, making him a free agent.
Following major lower extremity injuries that he suffered in back-to-back years (2019, 2020), the Warriors were hopeful their star guard would return to greatness at some point. When he finally made his NBA comeback in Jan. 2022, more than 900 days away from basketball, Thompson put together stretches during the season that made it look like he never missed a beat.
Despite returning with half a season already gone, No. 11 registered 12 games of four or more 3-pointers. His breakout performance came against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks when he scored 38 points and cashed eight 3-pointers.
Although he took a backseat to Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins en route to an NBA championship, there was legitimate optimism that Klay would return to full strength.
Although he had a very Thompson-esque 2022-23 season — 21.9 points on 41.2% from 3 — the 2023 postseason was a forgettable one. Then, his 2023 postseason, during which he scored a combined 27 points in the final three games against the Los Angeles Lakers before defeat, became the precursor to his unvarnished final season in Golden State.
New commitment and goals
Thompson will be teaming up in Dallas with one of the NBA's best duos, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The star tandem almost delivered the NBA championship to Dallas last season but fell to a nearly unstoppable Boston Celtics team. They had all the makings of a champion but lacked some essential elements like a lethal 3-point shooter, but they're getting that now with No. 31 joining the squad. Outside of their star backcourt, the Mavericks shot just 31.6 percent. No other player scored eight or more threes throughout the NBA Finals series.
"I was watching just as a basketball fan, and I did see, like, 'Man, I could really help this team. They're right there," Thompson said during his intro press conference in July. "Not big adjustments, but just very little adjustments from getting over the top. We're knocking on the door, and that's what really got me excited to be here."
Last season, the former Warriors star scored his lowest average in 11 years, with 17.9 points per game. Similarly, Thompson's shooting performance nearly mirrored his career low, as he shot 38.7% from three-point range. However, Dallas promises to be a fresh start for the 34-year-old as he enters the twilight of his NBA career.
Related: Draymond Green says Klay Thompson did Warriors a huge favor by leaving: "He relieved this organization of the financial hardships"
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