Mavericks Understand Warriors' Decision on Klay Thompson
The Golden State Warriors recognized that Klay Thompson was declining during his final year with the team. For this reason, he was benched for 14 games in the latter half of that season and was not guaranteed a starting position moving forward. This led to Thompson leaving for the Dallas Mavericks in free agency.
Thompson's Role Change with the Mavericks
The Mavericks have now experienced why the Warriors were comfortable letting the 5-time All-Star go. Thompson was benched in his 80th game with Dallas after signing a three-year, $50 million contract in the 2024 offseason. His playing time dropped at the start of the season, reflecting both his dip in form and the Mavericks' struggles, as the team entered the game against the New Orleans Pelicans with a 2-5 record and ranked 14th in the Western Conference.
Thompson's Reaction and Performance
"The veteran sharpshooter was frustrated when moved to the bench by Steve Kerr on February 15 last year, but he took that out on the Utah Jazz in a memorable 35-point, six-rebound performance on 7-of-13 shooting from 3-point range."
This season, Thompson's performance has not been as explosive, but he showed one of his better games recently despite averaging a career-low 8.1 points with shooting percentages of 31.8% from the floor and 26.2% from three-point range.
Summary
Klay Thompson's reduced role and performance with the Mavericks reflect the Warriors' early assessment of his career decline, validating their decision to let him leave.