This past offseason, four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson shocked the basketball world by joining the Dallas Mavericks after 13 years with the Golden State Warriors. With this move, the 34-year-old joins a Mavericks team fresh off an NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics. Paired next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Thompson now makes up one of the most intriguing trios in the NBA. Naturally, there is a lot of anticipation as he prepares for his first season in Dallas.
Last night, Thompson saw his first on-court action with the Mavericks. In a 102-107 preseason loss to the Utah Jazz, Thompson made his Mavericks debut. The five-time All-Star played 18 minutes, recording 10 points on 3-for-9 from the field (though he shot an efficient 3-for-5 from beyond the arc) and three assists. After the game, Thompson spoke about making his Mavericks debut, comparing it to his rookie season.
“Not really. It’s human nature when you’ve been somewhere for so long. You’re so familiar with that environment after a decade-plus of being there & now being here. It literally felt like my rookie season all over again.”
Klay Thompson Has Unique Perspective On Mavericks Debut
How Klay Thompson Will Help the Dallas Mavericks
The expectation is that Thompson will start for the Mavericks at small forward. Though he is traditionally a shooting guard, he is capable of moving into another role in the lineup. While not the same player he was at the peak of the Warriors’ dynasty, Thompson is still very effective. Last season, he averaged 17.9 points and shot 38.7% from beyond the arc. For reference, only Dante Exum (49.1% on 2 three-point attempts per game) and Irving (41.1%) shot better from the three-point line on the Mavericks last season. His perimeter game will help take a lot of pressure off Doncic and Irving on the offensive end.
Additionally, Thompson is still a solid defender as well. He is not a lockdown defender anymore. However, he is still more than capable of providing a boost on this side of the ball. Furthermore, one thing that will never go away is Thompson’s NBA Finals experience. Throughout his career, the California native won four championships and made six NBA Finals appearances. Thompson is also one of three players currently on the Mavericks with a championship (Irving in 2016 and Markieff Morris in 2020). This level of experience should help the Mavericks as they aim to win their first championship since 2011.
When Thompson Will Return to Golden State
One of the most intriguing narratives of the 2024-25 season is Thompson’s return to Golden State to face his old friends. Fortunately for NBA fans, the wait is not too long. Thompson’s first game against the Warriors is on the road on November 12. In addition to this being his first game against the Warriors in his career, this will also be Dallas’ first game of the NBA Cup, formerly known as the In-Season Tournament.
Recently, Warriors veteran Draymond Green spoke about Thompson’s departure. Green called it “a happy divorce” and made it clear he is looking forward to going up against his former teammate.
“It’s a happy divorce, if there’s a divorce,” Green said. “A lot of divorces are nasty. This ain’t one of them. I don’t even qualify it as a divorce. It’s just the next chapter in all of our lives. It’s an opportunity for me and Steph, see what we can do together.”
It will certainly be a strange sight to see Green going up against Thompson. The two, along with Stephen Curry, carried one of the greatest NBA dynasties in recent history. However, it seems that both have moved on. Until the end of his career, all eyes will be on Thompson every time he faces his old Warriors team.
