After the Golden State Warriors were eliminated early in the play-in tournament of the 2023-24 season, there were rumors that Klay Thompson would leave the team.
Following the season, Thompson, known as one of the best three-point shooters of all time, became a free agent. The Los Angeles Lakers were among several teams competing to sign the four-time NBA champion. After 13 seasons with the Warriors, Thompson declined an offer from the Lakers and chose to play for the Dallas Mavericks.
Thompson joined the Mavericks with a $50 million contract on July 6, 2024, as part of a six-team sign-and-trade deal involving the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. This transaction marked the first time in NBA history that six teams were involved in a trade. Thompson’s dad, Mychal Thompson, expressed disappointment over Klay’s decision, as he wanted him to join the Lakers because Klay was raised as a Lakers and Kobe Bryant fan.
Anthony F. Irwin, a Lakers Insider for Lakers Daily, recently revealed the reason Thompson rejected the Lakers’ offer. The Lakers were unwilling to guarantee Thompson a starting position on their team, leading to his decision to reject the offer.
“Sources: Gary Trent Jr. signed in Milwaukee in large part because they promised a starting gig. Lakers didn’t want to promise a starting gig to Klay Thompson and didn’t offer it to GTJ..” Irwin wrote in his latest post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Joe Lacob Shows Some Love for Thompson with a Side of Laughter
Many NBA analysts have shared their opinions on Thompson’s decision to join the Mavericks. Recently, Joe Lacob, the majority governor of the Golden State Warriors, expressed his emotions for Thompson while hilariously joking about him.
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“I don’t care what people think happened or didn’t happen. He will always be welcome in my life. I hope he feels the same. Honestly, I get a little teary-eyed about it. I hope we’re going to be friends forever. And he’s just going to be in Dallas for a few years and we’ll have to kick his ass. But that’s just the job. And I’m sure he feels the same way. That’s called competition.” Lacob said during a recent interview on The Athletic NBA Show.
Along with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Thompson was a member of the Warriors trio known as the “Splash Brothers.” In a recent interview, Green discussed Thompson’s choice, which caused the group to break up.
