“Sometimes, change can spur greatness.” After spending 13 years with the Warriors, Klay Thompson realized a change of scenery could do wonders for him. But why did he choose Dallas, specifically? “Because of the young players they have,” the 34-year-old revealed in the press conference after his signing. Now, three months later, he restated his reasoning. But this time, he named a particular someone.

And, no, it wasn’t Kyrie Irving.

When Klay Thompson and the Mavericks followed through on their mutual interest in a partnership, head coach Jason Kidd publicly stated that a meeting with Kyrie Irving was key to convincing the former Warriors star. “When you talk about the recruitment, a lot of people that were involved. But one of the biggest players in that was Kai,” he said. But Thompson was looking forward to more than just partnering with Irving.

He’s excited about the opportunity of teaming up with Luka Doncic!

The Mavericks played their fourth and final preseason game on Thursday, capping off their schedule with a 109-84 win over the Bucks. After contributing 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in the 18 minutes he was on the floor, Thompson fielded questions in the post-game press conference. However, considering Luka Doncic didn’t feature in any of the games, the only time the 25-year-old and Thompson shared the court was during practice on Wednesday.

With only a week before their first regular season game, a reporter asked, “You got a day yesterday to get your feet wet with Luka. Where would you say you guys are now, with the week still to tweak and a long marathon ahead?” Klay Thompson’s response was simple. “I think we’ll be great, and a huge reason I’m here is ’cause of Luka and the chance to play with him. With the week ahead, we will have a lot of time to build great chemistry.”

Moreover, he even had high praise for the Slovenian sensation (who bagged a then-record $207 million supermax rookie extension 3 years ago). “He is such a great player. I don’t think he needs much time to get acclimated to new teammates. He’s elevated everybody’s game since he’s been in the NBA,” said Klay. Luka is one of the best playmakers in the league, and in just six years, he has turned the Mavs into championship contenders. Watching their run to the NBA Finals last season was another major determinant for the former Warriors star.

In his interview from July, while talking about the Dallas franchise, Thompson revealed that watching the Mavs “make a run for the championship, I just saw myself fitting in really well with this team.” Since Luka Doncic joined Dallas in 2018, the team has failed to make the playoffs only twice (2018-19 and 2022-23). As for the 25-year-old not needing much time to acclimate to new teammates, we saw it with Kyrie Irving last season.

Fresh off of an abysmal 2022-23 season, where the Mavs registered a 38-44 record, they brought in ‘Uncle Drew’ from the Nets. But they turned it around in 2023-24, with the Irving-Doncic duo combining for averages of 59.5 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 15 assists in the regular season. They ended the regular season with a 50-32 record, leading the Mavs to the Finals against the Celtics. Add Klay Thompson and make them a trio this year, and Jason Kidd’s words might come to fruition.

After signing the Splash Brother, Kidd said, “We truly believe that [Klay] gives us something that we haven’t had, a guy who’s not afraid to take the shot. He’s been in championship situations. He understands what it means. We believe we’re building a championship team.” Considering the team that Dallas is shaping up to be – gunning for their first title since 2011 – maybe this is what Thompson was missing in the Bay Area.

Coming back to his comments about moving to the Mavericks, amid the praise for Luka, KT made no mention of Kyrie. But that could be just because the question was more focused on his chemistry with Doncic, don’t you think? During previous interviews, the sharpshooter has constantly highlighted his conversations with Irving: “He actually was one of the first people to text me just how grateful he is to be here and how the city’s embraced them, the organization’s embraced them.”

Kyrie Irving may have joined the Mavs only a year ago, but it looks like he has truly found a new home in the city. And the way the franchise and fans have embraced him showed the Splash Brother what his future could look like in Dallas. “For him to come here and embrace the city and embrace the role inspired me because they were so close to winning the whole thing.”

Sure enough, days before deeming Luka Doncic as a huge reason for his decision, Klay Thompson also acknowledged Irving’s influence, “Playing with Luka and Kyrie, that’s what was attractive, especially watching their championship run.”

Mark Cuban and Jason Kidd also credited Kyrie Irving for Klay Thompson’s big move

While it didn’t happen tonight, several members of the Mavs franchise have credited Kyrie for influencing Klay Thompson’s decision in the past. After deeming him as one of the biggest players in the recruitment process, Jason Kidd had said, “Kai being able to, player to player, (detail) his experience of what Dallas has been like for him in two years and being able to tell Klay the honest truth of what he thinks can happen with Klay coming to Dallas.”

Meanwhile, Mark Cuban recently shared a similar sentiment on the Club Shay Shay Podcast, “I mean, credit goes to Nico and Kyrie, and J Kidd right. They know him, they’ve played with him, they understand him. They went out and spent time with him, got to know him better and I think Klay was ready for a move… The timing was right. Kudos to Klay for being willing to make the move and kudos to Nico, J-Kidd, and Kai for making it happen.”

Whether it was because of Kyrie Irving or Luka Doncic or anyone else, the important thing is the Mavs got the player they wanted. And now it’s Klay’s turn to prove his worth and help the team get over the hump and reach the mountaintop. Sure enough, combining his elite shooting with Luka and Kyrie’s playmaking skills, they could become the most lethal trio in the league.

Yes, Klay did not have a great last season. But he still shot 38.7% from the three-point line, better than most players. Since Luka and Kyrie are often double-teamed, Klay will likely get way more open shots playing alongside the two stars. That might be exactly what the Mavs need to finally win a championship. What are your thoughts?