He Dallas Mavericks They weren’t content with just making the NBA Finals. They brought in four-time champion Klay Thompson after his split with the Golden State Warriors despite LeBron James’ efforts to lure him to the Los Angeles Lakers.
According Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPNThompson will join the Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million contract facilitated by a sign-and-trade involving the Warriors and Charlotte Hornets. Josh Green will be sent to Charlotte in the deal, and two second-round picks will be sent to Golden State.
A player must agree to a contract of at least three years in length to be eligible for a sign-and-trade. Thompson, who averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists this season, did so without an option included in the deal. From a compensation standpoint, he signed for less on the surface. Still, the tax difference in Texas versus California was taken into account, along with how close Dallas was to being a championship team.
READ MORE: Why Klay Thompson chose the Dallas Mavericks over the Los Angeles Lakers
Naturally, the Lakers were a strong draw for Thompson. His father, Mychal, not only played for the organization from 1987-91, but is currently a radio broadcaster. James went out of his way to recruit Thompson shortly after free agency opened. Considering they were coming off a first-round exit that ended in five games against the Denver Nuggets, Thompson likely saw joining the Mavericks as a better option to compete for what would be his fifth championship.
The Mavericks reportedly met with Thompson, including Irving, in Los Angeles to help attract Thompson’s interest. Irving had no shortage of NBA Finals matchups with Thompson when he played with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Warriors. Irving’s execution in recruiting is not a surprise, considering that during his free agency last summer and in closed-door meetings, he provided insight into who he wants to play with, highlighting options in future free agent classes.
With the Mavericks drafting Thompson to start on the wing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, it was clear how quickly Derrick Jones Jr. decided to join the LA Clippers in free agency on a three-year, $30 million contract following the departure of Paul George. Jones will surely get more opportunities with the Clippers to play more minutes to continue the momentum coming off a spectacular year.
Mavericks management went to work on several plans based on possible outcomes, preparing for Jones’ departure. Dallas already had a deal in place with Naji Marshall before it was announced that Jones would sign with another team. Marshall agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract.
One of the factors of Thompson’s sign-and-trade deal that shouldn’t be overlooked is the way Dallas arranged to flip Tim Hardaway Jr.’s contract to the Detroit Pistons by including three second-round picks. This unlocked the non-taxable $12.9 million mid-level exception and brought back Quentin Grimes, providing Dallas with a replacement for Green before his departure.
READ MORE: Kyrie Irving helped sign Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks
With Thompson, Marshall and Grimes on the roster, the Mavericks continued their recent roster-improving efforts to build around Doncic and Irving. The turnaround began with the acquisition of Dereck Lively II in last year’s draft after moving from 10th to 12th in the draft order. Unsatisfied with the roster before the midseason trade deadline, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford were brought in.
The fact that the Mavericks have made it to the NBA Finals is a clear sign that they need to be aggressive in maximizing the talent on their roster. Thompson may not be the defender he once was, but he remains one of the league’s most dynamic shooting threats and commands the respect of the defense. Dallas had to deal with disappointing shooting in the Finals against the Boston Celtics, while often failing to command the respect of the defense because of Jones’ shooting threat.
The Mavericks have seen how dangerous the team can be when Hardaway was converting at a high rate from deep alongside Doncic and Irving or even filling in for one of them when he was injured. Replacing him with Thompson, who has a proven track record as an all-time great shooter, is a more impactful threat on off-ball screens and basic pick-and-roll scoring than Hardaway while also being a slightly taller, bigger defensive option. The combination should bode well for Dallas, barring an unforeseen decline.
Thompson, 34, is a reason for the Mavericks to be optimistic about his impact over the course of this contract, as he’ll be playing alongside one of the NBA’s most electrifying players in Doncic. It also doesn’t hurt that Irving will get plenty of defensive attention. The key will be how much of a defensive impact Thompson can bring from here on out.
Keeping with Mavericks Game Day for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA offseason and Luka Doncic at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece.