The second day of the free agent market began with the news that Klay Thompson would be a perfect fit for the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Lakers management will try to do everything possible to get the shooting guard to join the club led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Many clubs were interested in the Golden State Warriors legend, as everyone needs a veteran with championship experience and an incredible three-point shot, but the Dallas Mavericks were the luckiest of all.
According to the well-known journalist and expert Adrian Wojnarowski, Klay Thompson has signed a three-year contract worth 50 million dollars with the Texas club, which just a few weeks ago played in the NBA finals. The unforgettable number 11 of the Warriors will move to Dallas on a “sign and trade” basis with the participation of several clubs. In turn, forward Josh Green will leave the Mavericks camp for the Charlotte Hornets.
The deal isn’t done yet, but if Thompson had four-year, big-money offers from clubs like Wojnarowski claims, and still decided to sign with Dallas in hopes of winning another championship, that says a lot. A big factor in his transition is the taxes in Texas, which are among the lowest in the United States.
Klay Thompson
Photo: Kavin Mistry/Getty Images
It’s not yet clear what the Warriors will get from the sign-and-trade deal involving Thompson. The San Francisco club has not yet agreed to finalize this deal. This does not mean that Clay will not move to Dallas, but it will require additional negotiations and finalizing details. The Mavericks could sign the defenseman, but then he would have to sign for less money.
Almost immediately after the Thompson news broke, Golden State signed De’Anthony Melton to a one-year deal for $12.8 million. Last season, the point guard averaged 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals. A pretty nice boost, but this isn’t a Clay-caliber player and certainly not his replacement. Dallas, with the possible departure of Tim Hardaway Jr., will need a quality 3-point specialist, and who would be a good fit for that role if not Clay, who is one of the best snipers in NBA history.
Another legend did not stay in the Golden State:
The NBA legend was chasing the money, not the ring. But that only works in Vembanyama’s favour.
What’s more, in addition to the incredible Luka Doncic, Dallas has Kyrie Irving. Each member of this pair is capable of taking on opponents one-on-one, reducing the opponent’s defense and thus opening up space in the goal for other players. Throughout his career, Clay shot perfectly with resistance and even opened up attempts like crazy, perhaps with the exception of last season. Don’t forget that Thompson now has to prove in practice that he is worth something. He left his local team, where the fans idolized him, but the management did not want to give the legend a contract for more than two years, after which number 11 said: “Goodbye.”
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson played 720 games together, recording 420 regular-season wins and 98 playoff victories. The club, led by the legendary trio, won 23 playoff series, reached the NBA Finals six times and was crowned champion four times. Clay leaves Golden State after 13 seasons with the team. He survived it all: the rise of the Warriors, the championship, the arrival and departure of Durant, two terrible injuries in a row and the incredible love of ordinary fans who loved him no less than Curry for his simplicity and his excellent work on the court. There should be no doubt that the Warriors will retire Thompson’s number, but he will still dust himself off in Dallas and perhaps become a five-time NBA champion, something only a few have achieved.
Clay carried more than one playoff series on his shoulders with Golden State. Just look at the legendary Game 6 of the 2016 NBA playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. It was unforgettable! But everything comes to an end… The Golden State Warriors dynasty has officially reached the inevitable: the end. It was Klay Thompson who put an end to the story of the legendary trio. The defender will continue to write his own story, but this time in Dallas. Doncic, Irving, Thompson, Washington and Lively sounds promising, doesn’t it? Maybe the Texans will be in the NBA Finals again.
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