After spending his first 11 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, sharpshooter Klay Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks in a sign and trade deal prior to the 2024-25 NBA season. While seeing the names Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson on the same roster can be intimidating, the trio together has not quite lived up to expectations.
Now this is a unique situation because it is not like the Mavericks are struggling. The Mavs are currently 16-8 and are in fourth place in the Western Conference. However, many believe that Thompson's contributions so far this season are not matching his three-year, $50 million contract.
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Jack Murray of Bleacher Report published a piece citing an NBA executive who described Klay Thompson as an 'awkward fit' for the Dallas Mavericks. While it sounds strange, it seems to be an accurate description.
Thompson's 13 points per game and 36 percent shooting from the 3-point line are not a major improvement from what the Mavericks had a season ago. Considering Thompson's contract, they could be receiving the same production for much cheaper.
On the other hand, the Mavericks expect Klay to really make a difference in the playoffs given his level of experience and great success in postseason play. Obviously Maverick fans would settle for a mediocre regular season for Thompson as long as he explodes in the playoffs.
It is weird to say but Thompson's slight decline in performance is something we all should have seen coming. Typically when superstars change teams late in their career, it marks the beginning of the end. Even though Thompson is still holding his own, by his standards, his performance is taking a dip.
Additionally, Kyrie Irving and Luca Doncic make a living by playing an isolation style of basketball where they score the majority of their points by taking their defender one-on-one. As a result of this, a spot-up shooter like Klay doesn't fit into the Mavericks system as much as he did with the Warriors who pride themselves on ball movement.
Klay Thompson will continue to provide the Mavericks with solid minutes and play his role in a professional manner but we likely should not expect him to return to "Splash Brother" form at this point in his career.