Despite LeBron James’ recruiting efforts, Klay Thompson wanted to avoid a repeat of his last season with the Warriors by joining the Lakers.
Klay Thompson signed with the Dallas Mavericks on a 3-year, $50 million contract to end his 13-year tenure with the Golden State Warriors. The Los Angeles Lakers were in heavy pursuit of Klay, but the four-time champion resisted the temptation to join his hometown team with LeBron James due to worries he would be treated as poorly as he was in his last year with the Warriors, according to Ramona Shelbourne.
“James had several deep conversations with Thompson about the idea of playing together, sources said. But something about playing for the Lakers apparently felt too much like playing for the Warriors. As one source close to him put it, ‘Would this be trading one fishbowl for another?’”
Klay found himself taking the brunt of the blame for the Warriors missing the Playoffs last season. The scapegoating and a lack of respect from the Warriors organization internally led to Klay having a ‘miserable’ season, something he wants to avoid in his next chapter.
Like it or not, playing with the Lakers comes with just as big of a spotlight as playing for the Warriors, if not more. The organization and fans are known to turn on underperforming players in a heartbeat, which Klay likely wants to avoid.
The Mavericks seem to be a stronger choice as they have a better team led by Luka Doncic, a superstar in his prime. Kyrie Irving is the second option offensively, allowing Klay to revert to a third-option role where his shooting is emphasized. He averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists last season.
Kyrie Irving Sold Klay Thompson On The Family Aspect Of The Mavericks
Kyrie Irving joined the Mavericks coming off a rotten spell in his career where he was held responsible for blowing up the Brooklyn Nets superteam. While there were a variety of factors to blame, Irving was a primary culprit and was villainized in the media.
Irving reshaped his career on the Mavericks, having a phenomenal season as Doncic’s second option as the team went to the NBA Finals. The key behind Kyrie’s success was the stability the Mavs organization led by Nico Harrison and Jason Kidd provided to him personally. Irving recruited Klay based on this alone, not even discussing basketball with him over dinner.
The dimmer spotlight in Dallas would give Thompson a chance to resurrect his career similar to what Irving has managed without constant media pressure. The Warriors and Lakers are arguably the two biggest teams when it comes to media talk points, so joining the Mavericks will allow him more room to grow.
The money ended up being secondary for Klay, who turned down a bigger extension with the Warriors last season and an $80 million contract with the Lakers in order to prioritize winning a title with the Mavericks.
“Money was a secondary factor in his Mavericks’ decision. Thompson, well aware that the $43 million he earned last season with Golden State did not buy his happiness, chose Dallas mostly because he saw it as his best chance to win a fifth title.”
The Mavericks will head into next season as pre-season contenders for the title given all the moves they’ve made. Hopefully, the positive momentum of the franchise helps Klay rediscover his form and be a pivotal piece in a potential title run.