The Dallas Mavericks, fresh off their NBA Finals appearance, have thrown a curveball by aggressively adding top-tier talent around Luka Dončić. Despite the front office’s initial messaging about favoring continuity, the Mavericks have made significant moves that have left fans and analysts buzzing.

I recently had the exclusive opportunity to sit down with none other than Glenn Robinson III to discuss what these changes mean for his former teammate, Klay Thompson. In an EssentiallySports scoop, we’ve uncovered how Thompson’s new role will reshape the Mavericks’ dynamics.

Klay Thompson, a four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star, will now slot in next to the Slovenian superstar and Kyrie Irving. Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes have also been added amid the exits of Derrick Jones Jr. and Josh Green.

Anytime a player as accomplished as Thompson switches teams, it will create significant intrigue about the move’s potential. The four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star left behind a remarkable legacy with the Golden State Warriors but knew it was time to move on.

Thompson, 34, is coming off a campaign averaging 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 77 regular season performances, shooting 43.2% from the floor and 38.7% from deep. He remains a dynamic, high-volume perimeter shooting threat who took 9.0 attempts per game last season.

Many people expected and desired Thompson to choose the Los Angeles Lakers before he committed to join the Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million contract in a move facilitated by a six-team sign-and-trade transaction.

Thompson described his decision to join the Mavericks as leaving him feeling “rejuvenated” and excited for a new beginning on a team with a legitimate chance to achieve another deep playoff run. However, it wasn’t the decision many eagerly anticipated him making.

Klay Thompson’s “unpopular” Mavericks decision was the right one

Klay Thompson’s former Warriors teammate, Glenn Robinson III told EssentiallySports about the sharpshooters’ decision to join the Mavericks. Robinson was a member of the Warriors while Thompson was recovering from a season-ending injury. He spent much time around the former “Splash Brothers” duo member, experiencing the magnitude of his presence in the Bay Area and bonding with him off the court.

“I think that his exit from the Warriors, whether people like it or not, is sad because we’ve seen that run,” Robinson said. “A lot of kids grew up on that Warriors team or the Cavs with LeBron. Especially nowadays, some of these young guys, but I see Steph and Klay as he made the right move at the right time for his career and himself.”

Robinson, the son of a two-time NBA All-Star, bonded with Stephen Curry and Thompson over having fathers who played in the NBA. There is a different type of pressure that comes with such a journey. Expectations and pressure can be added to the process even when making a free agency decision.

“One thing that I was going to add was that Steph and Klay shared. We all share more than we know in common,” Robinson recalled. “We bonded over those things by having fathers who have played and family who have been around it.”

Robinson respects Thompson for making his own difficult decision to join the Mavericks instead of following the influence of his father, Mychal, who made comments expressing a desire for Klay to come to L.A.

“I really respect what Klay did in his decision-making after reading what his dad said. He wanted him to go to the Lakers,” Robinson stated.

It is not easy to turn down playing for the Lakers despite having a father who played for the organization and worked on their radio broadcast. Thompson has grown accustomed to being on the West Coast, riding his boat in the San Francisco Bay and spending his offseasons in Los Angeles. He chose to go to Dallas, which Robinson related to when he chose to play for Michigan, instead of choosing his father’s alma mater, Purdue, enabling him to create his lane.

“I’m sure Klay wanted to go to the Lakers as well. It’s hard to turn down Cali. It’s hard to turn down home for a lot of people,” Robinson detailed. “But to do something as a man on your own is something I’ve experienced in my career, going to Michigan instead of Purdue. Having to follow footsteps and create your own lane is something that I always respect out of people because it’s so easy to be in the shadow.”

Robinson views Thompson as someone who has always made his own decisions, even if it isn’t popular. “It’s so easy to just do what’s normal, do what other people are saying,” he added. “But he’s never, since I’ve known him, been that type of guy anyway.”

Aside from being willing to make a bold decision, Thompson’s locker room presence was another element of the Mavericks’ intrigue to add him.

Is Klay Thompson’s leadership the key to the Mavericks’ championship?

Multiple members of the Mavericks front office have highlighted Klay Thompson’s leadership as one of the motivating factors for adding him to the team.

Robinson had experienced Thompson both as a sidelined teammate who had to make his impact felt through leadership and with witnessing it as an opponent when he was an active player. “I would say a few things about Klay. I call him the silent leader,” he said.

There are many similarities Robinson saw regarding leadership from Thompson and Stephen Curry with the Warriors. Thompson often was limited in the words he’d use but led by example. Throughout his career, Thompson has shown to thrive when using back-and-forth with opponents as fuel.

“Very similar to Steph, but Klay is a little bit more to himself, or at least during that time he was,” Robinson explained. “He was coming off the injury and trying to make his way, but they show you by example. They don’t do a lot of talking. Now, if there’s a confrontation on the court, they’re so good at what they do that they can back it up with words, but that’s not the first thing he looks to do.”

There is a clear confidence Thompson holds that stems from the work he puts into being an elite player that Robinson noticed similar to other great players, not just Curry, including other stars he’s played alongside such as Paul George, Draymond Green, and Blake Griffin.

“I would see Klay come in. I wouldn’t say much, but he would go straight to his locker, always early,” Robinson said when reflecting on his time as Thompson’s teammate. “If you didn’t know him, some people might take it as cocky, but he’s worked so hard, and he knows that he’s so good that his confidence is through the roof. That’s what I see in every superstar I’ve played with, from Paul George to Blake Griffin to Steph, even Draymond. Confidence is something that you can never take away from them. They never waver.”

As an observer, Robinson still sees that confidence in Thompson even after the major injuries he’s dealt with in his career. “Watching him throughout the past couple of years, as people said what they’ve said about him, as he’s gotten older and been injured a few times, his confidence hasn’t left him,” Robinson detailed. “He has been humbled, and it even says that in the Bible, we shall be exalted once we are humbled. I think that humbleness turns him into a great player, and he does lead by example.”

As far as being a locker room fit, Robinson had significant praise for Thompson. “Besides basketball, off the court, he’s one of the best guys I’ve been around,” he emphasized.

Robinson felt that Thompson always stayed true to what he was off the court, and it was easy for anyone on the team to connect with him and have a great time. “He loves to be on his boat, on the water, as people see all the time, but that’s him,” Robinson mentioned. “He loves to have a great time. We call him, like we say nowadays, one of the boys. He’s just literally one of the boys.”

The on-court fit with the Mavericks seems to be a straightforward one. The foundation involves Dončić and Irving creating problems for the defense off the dribble with their individual prowess while Thompson is ready to shoot, with plenty of layers to integrate beyond that. What overall can we expect?

How impactful will Klay Thompson be for the Mavericks?

Robinson’s perspective about Klay Thompson’s on-court impact comes from seven head-to-head matchups, including an iconic 60-point performance on 11 dribbles Thompson had against Robinson’s Indiana Pacers in 2016. Throughout his career, Thompson naturally required significant game-planning for opponents around the league, making Robinson keenly aware of his impact.

After observing the Mavericks’ 2023-24 campaign, Robinson understandably sees massive potential for Thompson. “I have a lot of respect for him, and I think that this season is going to be really interesting,” he stated. “I really think that the Mavs team surprised a lot of people, but the pieces seem to fit.”

Thompson remains a dynamic threat in off-ball actions with great shooting talent capable of doing some off-the-dribble shooting and straight-line drives. Robinson respects Thompson as a defender, even at this stage. “He’s a great shooter, another off-ball playmaker at times, someone where they can also defend,” he detailed.

An intriguing angle Robinson provided was that despite having a friendship with Derrick Jones Jr. from their time as peers, it’s difficult to pass on the chance to add a talent like Thompson to pair with Dončić and Irving.

“We’ve seen that with Derrick Jones Jr. I know him, and I’m pretty good friends with him, had the pleasure of my dunk contest that I won; he was in—we’ve known each other for quite a while, and it was great seeing him step up and be even more of a player than people thought he was. But a player like Klay is hard to come by.”

Robinson views the move to add Thompson as providing a reliable third option in the Mavericks’ offense that the team did not previously have. He respects general manager Nico Harrison’s aggression in adding a talent like Thompson despite the team coming off a Finals run.

“I really respect Nico Harrison. I know him a little bit. One of my good friends is friends with him as well, so I have conversations with him sometimes,” Robinson revealed. “I really love Nico’s approach of not passing up and having to go get one of those guys like Klay.”

He explained further, “They don’t have to be Kyrie or Luka, but to get that third option, someone who you can still rely on and depend on, it doesn’t have to be your number one. I look forward to seeing what he’s going to do.”

Not only does Robinson expect Thompson to naturally receive a heavy volume of open shots playing next to Dončić and Irving, but a key factor to consider is the mental element. Robinson feels the pressure of winning with the Warriors after winning four championships created a different level of pressure for Thompson that won’t necessarily be there in Dallas despite the team’s motivation to win it all. Golden State’s history raises immediate expectations to such a degree.

“I think it’s going to open up a lot more open shots for him, a lot more opportunities for him, and the pressure’s going to be off,” Robinson said. “Obviously, the Mavs want to win a championship, but that Warriors pressure with those three and those four was a lot. It became a lot at times. You can even feel it. You can feel the energy through the TV. I’m excited about this new opportunity for him.”

Robinson believes Thompson’s decision to join the Mavericks had more of a long-term focus in mind, which should set him up well for the late stage of his career. “Like I said, I really respect him making the decision to go to the Mavs. L.A.’s the easy choice,” he reiterated. “I think it’s a longer play for his career. It gives him a few more extra years than just going to the Lakers.”

The Mavericks surely hope that Thompson has plenty of productive years left as they aim to capitalize on Irving’s window. If it goes accordingly, Dončić could have the necessary support to guide Dallas to its first championship since 2011 and just the second in franchise history.

This interview was conducted by Grant Afseth, an NBA correspondent for EssentiallySports.