"Both sides were at fault" - NBA analyst dissects Klay Thompson's switch from Warriors to Mavericks
An NBA analyst shared more insider information about the split between Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors. Thompson left the Warriors in free agency and signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks after 13 years in the Bay Area.
According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Thompson wanted a four-year contract, similar to what Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins had signed the past two years. He also felt that he was the same player he used to be despite two career-threatening injuries.
"More information is coming out about why Klay Thompson left the Warriors for the Mavericks, and it seems both sides were at fault. Thompson, despite missing two full seasons with injuries, felt he was nearly the same player he was before, and the Warriors didn’t agree.
"Thompson felt as if he should have been compensated with a four-year deal similar to Draymond Green's and Andrew Wiggins', especially since neither has lived up to their contracts," Washburn wrote.
Gary Washburn added that the Golden State Warriors had initially offered Klay Thompson a two-year, $48 million contract. Thompson rejected it because of the money and duration but took a pay cut to sign with the Dallas Mavericks.
Nevertheless, it was a tumultuous time between Thompson and the Warriors ownership last season. It reached a point where Klay asked Steph Curry to not intervene in the situation because he wanted a fresh start, but the Warriors only wanted Thompson back on their terms.
The four-time NBA champion is coming off the third-worst season of his career in terms of scoring. He averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists, while shooting 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc. It was his career-low in terms of 3-point shooting percentage.
Klay Thompson ready for a fresh start with the Dallas Mavericks
Klay Thompson was introduced as a member of the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week. He has moved past the disappointment of leaving the Golden State Warriors and is looking forward to a fresh start with his new team.
"Coming here is just such a fresh start. Feeling just wanted again, like I bring great value, it just gets me excited to go out there and even work out after this press conference and get shots up. Yeah, there was times last year where it was tough, where it wasn't as joyful as it was in the past.
"It's nice to kind of shed that and have a whole new fresh start, whole new group of guys to get to know, co-workers, whole new city. It's really cool and I'm going to embrace the heck out of this opportunity," Thompson said. [H/T ESPN]
Klay Thompson will be teaming up with one of the best duos in the NBA – Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Mavs are coming off their first NBA Finals since winning the championship in 2011.