After 13 years in the Bay Area, it is pretty odd for the Warriors fans to see Klay Thompson suit up in new threads. The one-half of the Dubs’ ‘Splash Brothers’ was traded to the Dallas Mavericks this season in a six-team sign-and-trade agreement in July this year. Thompson signed a three-year $50 million contract with the Mavs, effectively replacing Tim Hardaway Jr., who was traded to the Pistons in the same month.
Klay’s void is evident in the Warriors’ locker room and has been voiced by superstars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. As the Dubs were attending this season’s training camp at BYU Hawaii, Green was hit with the sudden realization of Klay’s absence, which he spoke about to Rob Perez and Sarah Kustok from SiriusXM NBA Radio. Green said,
“With Klay leaving, which is a big deal…Everything you see around here, including this building, Klay took part in making it happen. Training camp felt like it was the end of the [Klay Thompson chapter] and that’s what we need.”
Though the void left by Thompson has become more than just a reality for the Dubs, the team seems to be coming more fully to terms with his absence. When the Dallas Mavericks announced Thompson’s arrival, Green expressed his delight at Klay’s new jersey number 31 choice through an Instagram story.
How will Klay Thompson add value for the Dallas Mavericks?
Getting Klay Thompson in this offseason was one of the most impressive moves by the Dallas Mavericks front office. Despite the Lakers even offering a bigger contract and LeBron James personally recruiting for Klay, the Mavs emerged victorious in this free-agency battle. This was also beside the active interest of the Clippers and even the Warriors, who were looking to retain Klay for another year.
What the Mavericks would need the most is active three-point shooting in their play. Three-point woes caught up to them in the Playoffs and the Finals series against the Boston Celtics, which might have cost Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving a ring.
Klay might not be the best at defensive plays anymore, but he still does couple up as an active catch-and-throw shooter if it is based on screens. A Kyrie, Luka, and Klay lineup would also alleviate much of the burden from Kyrie being the spot-up shooter in a pick-and-roll situation.
If this is a good acquisition for the Mavs or not, we can only find out once the Mavs play a couple of games in this season.
