Klay Thompson will forever be immortalized in Golden State Warriors history. After all, he helped the organization win four championships, and he helped change the way the game of basketball is played alongside Stephen Curry. No matter what, Thompson is always going to be viewed and associated with the Warriors, just like Ray Allen is always associated with the Boston Celtics despite playing for other teams. But like Allen, Thompson has embarked on a new journey, and he now finds himself as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
Fresh off their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2011, the Mavs made it their mission to find ways to improve their roster with limited financial flexibility this offseason. Dallas did not have as much money to spend as other teams this offseason simply because landing PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline, two players who heavily increased the team's odds of competing for a championship, was basically the Mavericks' free agency additions.
Still, there were ways for the Mavs to grab a high-impact player, which is what they did with Thompson.
The writing had been on the wall for Thompson and his future with the Warriors. After returning from ACL and Achilles injuries and winning a championship in 2022, Klay's role with Golden State suddenly changed. Curry and Draymond Green had received new contracts, as did Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins after the team's latest championship, yet Thompson was the outsider of this group that the organization wasn't willing to extend prematurely due to the uncertainty of his impact and injuries.
Very few discussions were held between the two sides during the 2023-24 season, league sources told ClutchPoints, leading to the inevitable split between Thompson and the Warriors. As a result, the Mavericks saw an opportunity to add the shooting depth they had been lacking on the perimeter, yet the only way to bring in Thompson was via a sign-and-trade with Golden State. This led to a multi-team deal in which Klay went to Dallas in exchange for second-round picks and Josh Green, who was shipped to the Charlotte Hornets.
If anything has become clear, it is that Dallas sees their opportunity to get back to the NBA Finals and possibly win their second championship in team history. Dirk Nowitzki, who many claim to be the greatest international player to ever play in the NBA, led the Mavericks to their only title. Could Doncic, the player deemed to surpass Nowitzki and claim the title for being the greatest international player ever, lead the Mavs to their next championship?
The addition of Thompson gives the Mavs the shooting they desperately needed against Boston in the 2024 NBA Finals. As a team, Dallas shot just 31.5 percent from distance, as Doncic was the only player to make double-digit threes in the five games against the Celtics.
Thompson, who many claim had a bad season this past year with the Warriors, still managed to shoot 38.7 percent from three, and he knocked down 268 total triples, the fourth-most behind Curry, Doncic, and Donte DiVincenzo. These are the exact numbers the Mavericks need, and Klay has a chance to be the championship X-factor this organization needs.
Of course, adding Thompson was just one of a handful of moves that Dallas made this offseason.
Mavericks key offseason additions and departures
Additions: G/F Klay Thompson (FA – GSW), F Naji Marshall (FA – NOP), G Quentin Grimes (Trade – DET), G Spencer Dinwiddie (FA – LAL)
Departures: G Tim Hardaway Jr. (Trade – DET), G Josh Green (Trade – CHA), F Derrick Jones Jr. (FA – LAC)
One of the biggest adjustments the Mavericks needed to make this offseason was adding the necessary complementary pieces around Doncic in order to ensure that the team's offense could be successful with or without the Slovenian star on the court. Not to mention, there was a clear need for more shooting.
Tim Hardaway Jr.'s shooting percentage and confidence dropped as the season progressed. Although he shot 38.5 percent from three, Josh Green's perimeter production ended up dropping as well. If it weren't for Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the team from three-point range, Dallas would've been a bottom-tier team in this department.
As a matter of fact, the Mavericks shot just 35.6 percent from three-point range as a team, not including Doncic and Irving. With these two stars, Dallas shot 36.9 percent from the perimeter. That is a huge difference in the grand scheme of things.
The bottom line is that the Mavericks needed to find ways to expand on their perimeter depth, which is why things started with Thompson, who was acquired from the Warriors in a sign-and-trade agreement. The best part about Thompson arriving in Dallas is that he is on a team-friendly $50 million contract over the next three seasons with no opt-out clauses. If something were to happen and the Mavs no longer wanted Klay, they could easily look to send his contract somewhere else while still maintaining the ability to expand their roster.
Between his contract and shooting abilities, that is what makes Thompson such a vital asset for the Mavericks.
Besides adding Thompson, the Mavericks also brought back veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, whom the team gave up in the trade that allowed them to acquire Irving. Quentin Grimes is who the Mavericks picked up from the Detroit Pistons in a trade involving Hardaway, and perhaps the team's most underrated addition is Naji Marshall.
The former New Orleans Pelicans forward decided to join the Mavericks on a three-year, $27 million contract, effectively replacing Derrick Jones Jr. on the wing. The main reason why Marshall can make a big difference in Dallas right away is due to his strong defensive awareness while guarding the ball.
It is not an overstatement to call Marshall one of the most underrated defenders in the NBA right now, especially considering that he oftentimes guarded the best player on the opposite team when he was with the Pelicans. The Mavs are going to utilize Marshall as a 3-and-D player right away, given that he shot roughly 41 percent from the corner last season.
Toughness is what Jason Kidd and the Mavericks are looking for on defense. Marshall is going to bring energy to the second unit, and he is going to be a hard-nosed defender that can help alleviate pressure off Doncic and Irving.
Thompson replaces Hardaway, Dinwiddie replaces Green, and Marshall replaces Jones. Mavs fans should be thrilled with what Nico Harrison and this front office have accomplished over the last year.
Klay Thompson's role with Mavericks
All that matters for the Mavericks heading into the 2024-25 season is that they made the right decision by bringing in Thompson. At 34 years old and attempting to cope with the mindset that he isn't the same player he was prior to his major leg injuries, Thompson is somewhat of a loose cannon.
We saw this last season with the Warriors through his inconsistent play. Some nights, Thompson showed glimpses of his former self, scoring over 20 points while knocking down five or more perimeter shots. Then there were nights where Thompson's wear and tear began to show, like when he scored zero points in what turned out to be his final game in a Warriors uniform.
Unlike his role as Robin to Curry's Batman over the years, Thompson is going to be taking a step back with the Mavericks. That is just the nature of where he is in his career, and Klay wouldn't have accepted a deal with Dallas unless he was comfortable with the idea the organization had for him.
The bottom line is that Thompson is going to see a lot less freedom than he did with Golden State. In Dallas, Klay is going to be utilized more as a catch-and-shoot threat, both in the corner and coming off screens. Although there will still be opportunities for him to be the focal point for the team offensively when Doncic or Irving aren't in the game, he is going to be leaned on a lot to lead the team in perimeter scoring.
While he may be more versatile than Ray Allen was at this point in his career, the two share a very similar path. Thompson is still an impactful player, yet the decline in his mobility is going to make him focus more on his catch-and-shoot opportunities offensively.
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As far as Klay's role with the Mavericks goes, Dallas is still going to need him to be the scorer he has always been. Thompson was brought in by the Mavericks due to his shooting and natural scoring abilities. If he can put up the same numbers as a season ago, it's not hard to believe the Mavs could find themselves back in the NBA Finals.
Mavericks 2024-25 season outlook
Whether or not the Mavericks can actually make it back to the NBA Finals is contingent on this group's ability to keep their egos in check.
For some odd reason, teams across the league that find instant success oftentimes seem to fall into a state of complacency. We saw the Warriors struggle to regain their footing a few years ago, and the Milwaukee Bucks are a prime example of this after winning a championship in 2021. Since then, the Bucks have struggled with finding their identity and living up to the expectations placed on them.
The Mavericks will enter the 2024-25 season under the microscope of the league, especially since they have solidified their status as the team to beat in the Western Conference. Doncic will undoubtedly be one of the favorites for MVP, and it is not hard to think this team has the most offensive depth around their stars with factors like Thompson, Washington, Gafford, and Dereck Lively II on the court.
More importantly, defense is what is going to make the Mavs unbeatable in the postseason.
While they finished the 2023-24 season ranking 18th in defensive rating, the Mavs were a really strong defensive team after the All-Star break. This continued into the playoffs, as Dallas ranked fifth out of all postseason teams in defensive rating.
Lively and Gafford are the anchors underneath the rim, but the Mavs will lean on Marshall and possibly even Grimes to be defensive factors on the perimeter in the bench unit. This team is going to be able to score virtually every single possession, which is why getting stops during the fourth quarter of games will be vital to Dallas' overall success.
With the way this roster is constructed and the Mavs coming off an appearance in the NBA Finals, anything less than 50 wins and one of the top spots in the Western Conference standings would be a major disappointment.
