Mavericks News: Klay Thompson Ignores LeBron James’ Plea, Teams Up with Luka Doncic For Championship Pursuit

After all the dramatic turn of events, it’s the end of an era. Klay Thompson is officially out of the Bay Area, separating from his Splash Brother, and pursuing a new journey with the Dallas Mavericks. His departure was fairly imminent, as he bid a “cordial” adieu to a few high-ranking members of the Warriors’ organization. With him exiting the Golden State Warriors, the NBA landscape has forever changed.

The fateful news came to the Warriors fans in the early hours of Monday when Adrian Wojnarowski reported it. According to the veteran insider, Klay Thompson is signing a 3-year $50 million deal with the Western Conference winners. Woj also revealed Thompson’s refusal to 4-year deals on the table for more money. As per his knowledge from Thompson’s agent, Greg Lawrance, the player refused it in hopes of securing a 5th ring alongside Luka Doncic.

Klay along with Curry and Green literally built the dynasty piece by piece, which dominated the majority of 2010s. Today, things have drastically changed for them, so much so that there has been no communication since the negotiation period started for free agents 2 weeks ago. Neither made nor even attempted to make any offers as per the league sources. If rumors are to be believed, the Warriors were focusing on a set of priorities, waiting to circle back to Thompson’s decisions. But for obvious reasons, Thompson wasn’t one to sit around and wait for his turn. He felt the Warriors’ moves to be rather disingenuous.

Tax-related issues also played a part but that couldn’t be more important than a ring. But which team did he ditch? The highest tax rate in the USA is paid in California and it was no secret that the Lakers were interested in Klay Thompson. Probably that is one of the offers his agent was perhaps talking about.

The highest tax rate in the USA is paid in California and it was no secret that the Lakers were interested in Klay Thompson. Probably that is one of the offers his agent was perhaps talking about. But that does not change the fact that even a call from LeBron James was not enough to secure the deal. Right when the free agency opened at 6 pm ET, LeBron James reportedly called Klay Thompson to influence his future decision. The Lakers need reinforcements and the addition of the 34-year-old guard would’ve done a world of good to them. But in the end, Thompson chose what was best for him and not for others. And among those others is his father Mychal Thompson.

The former Lakers C was eager to see his son switch to the gold and purple of the Lakers. So much so that he was even ready to take a massive bump if that meant junior Thompson ended with the 17-time NBA Champions. But with the move confirmed from San Francisco to Dallas, there are still some loose ends the franchises need to tie.

More details about Klay Thompson’s deal come to light

While the contractual figures and the big names in the blockbuster moves hog the limelight, the intricate details of the deal remain under the rug. Klay Thompson’s $50 million move might seem a straightforward one, but it is anything but that. According to reports, the move involves three teams, the Warriors, the Hornets, and the Mavs. Why Warriors? Isn’t Klay Thompson joining via free agency? The answer is no. It is a sign-and-trade deal which includes Hornets sending the Mavericks two second-round picks for Josh Green and one of those picks could end up with the Dubs. But without a doubt, the straight-out winner of this trade is the Dallas side.

With the addition of Thompson, the Mavericks will now have three elite shooters on the court. Just like the Celtics have multiple ball-handlers and shooters at the same time on the court, the Mavs have an opportunity to replicate that. The Mavs struggled big time in the recently concluded Finals because of a lack of shooters apart from Doncic and Kyrie. A third catch-and-shoot player in Thomson can easily space the floor to solve multiple problems in one move. But will that translate into a ring, for which Thompson made the trip? Was it worth it to break up the Splash Brothers? Only time will answer.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what brand maker, Leonard Armato, had to say about the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe, check out this video