After spending 13 years and winning 4 championships, Klay Thompson bid adieu to the Golden State Warriors to join the Dallas Mavericks in a three-year, $50 million deal. While many thought he would probably join the Lakers, all owing to his father’s connections and his admiration for Kobe Bryant, Thompson’s decision was a shocker for everyone. It was most definitely laborious to bring Klay to Dallas, and Mark Cuban now finally reveals how they managed to do it.

On the Club Shay Shay podcast, Mark Cuban revealed how the front office came together to convince Klay to join Dallas. “I mean, credit goes to Nico and Kyrie, and J Kidd right. They know him, they’ve played with him, they understand him.” He further continued, “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.”

Majority of their strategy was to convince Klay on the basis of his performance in the crucial moments last year. Thompson struggled at the end of the previous season, garnering a lot of negativity. He averaged only 17.9 points, the lowest since his sophomore season. All of this led to a lot of tension in his relationship with the team. And this “struggle” played a vital role in persuading him to join the Mavericks. “I think Klay was ready for a move. All the grief he got last year particularly the way it ended,” Cuban explained.

And of course, this task wouldn’t be complete without people who Klay would actually listen to. Cuban understood the need at the time, and now praised Nico Harris for being able to talk Klay into joining the Mavs. “That’s literally why we brought Nico Harrison in because of his relationships with players. So, they went out, spent time with him, got to know him better.” 

Earlier during the month, Cuban also stated how life will be much easier for Klay now that he’s in Dallas. He will no longer have the #2 guy, or Curry’s right hand. Those positions came with a lot of expectations, responsibilities, and, of course, frustrations. He can relax now.  “He just stays in the corner… on the wings, and just catches and shoots for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Hopefully, his life will be much easier.”

Jason Kidd claims Kyrie Irving’s “Honest Truth” convinced Klay Thompson for the Dallas move

While Cuban credited Kyrie and team execs for successfully luring Thompson to join the Mavs, head coach Jason Kidd also credited their star point guard in an interview last month, “When you talk about the recruitment, it was a lot of people that were involved in that. But one of the biggest players in that was Kai.” But what was the argument that Irving used? Well, it was just his honesty, “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.”

Yes, after years of bouncing around from one franchise to another, it looks like Kyrie has finally found a permanent home in Dallas. And that has rejuvenated his performance on the court as he led the Mavs to the finals in only his second season with the team. Surely, that has a lot to do with the hospitable environment Cuban and his crew have created for the superstar. So, it is possible Klay also wanted a similar setting after the criticism he faced last season. And he even acknowledged Kyrie’s impact on his decision, “Playing with Luka and Kyrie, that’s what was attractive, especially watching their championship run. I was really shocked to see the chemistry with their teammates.”

Hopefully, the move will help revive his career the same way it did for Irving. What are your thoughts?