The Golden State Warriors lost a key component of the NBA’s most recent dynasty when Klay Thompson left for the Dallas Mavericks, but they may have also dodged a major financial misstep.
Golden State offered Thompson a two-year extension worth $48 million ahead of last season, which the five-time All-Star shooting guard declined in the wake of $100-million deals (or more) for the likes of Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole. Approximately one year later, Thompson accepted a three-year deal from the Mavs for $50 million total with a player option on the final season, which represents considerably less annual average salary than what the Warriors put on the table.
That Thompson accepted that offer says a considerable amount about the frayed relationship he must have had with members of the Dubs front office and also speaks volumes about the value of a fresh start to the four-time champion as he enters the latter stages of his career. And, in fairness, Dallas played in the NBA Finals last month while Golden State didn’t earn a spot in the playoffs — so the prospect of winning at a high level may have played a significant role in Thompson’s final decision as well.
But whatever his reasons for bolting to Dallas for $50 million, Thompson may have ultimately done the Warriors a favor from a salary cap prospective — at least, that’s the argument Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report made on Tuesday, July 2, when he declared Thompson’s contract in Dallas one of the top five overpays of early 2024 free agency.
Klay Thompson’s Game Now Relies Mostly on 3-Point Expertise
GettyKlay Thompson, formerly of the Golden State Warriors.
Thompson tore his ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals and then his Achilles tendon nearly one year later as he was nearing the final stages of rehabilitation on the first injury.
In all, the back-to-back devastating health problems cost Thompson the first two and a half years of the five-year, $190 million contract he signed with the Warriors one month after losing to the Toronto Raptors in the team’s fifth consecutive Finals appearance.
Thompson returned midway through the 2021-22 campaign and helped the Dubs to the fourth title of the Splash Brothers era in the Bay Area, but while Stephen Curry has remained elite since then, Thompson’s reputation as a top two-way defender and a versatile offensive threat has diminished.
“[This contract] feels a little steep for someone who could spend their twilight years primarily functioning as a perimeter shooting specialist,” Buckley wrote. “The problem is [Thompson has] become pretty one-note with his contributions since missing consecutive seasons to leg injuries.”
Buckley went on to note Thompson’s shot selection as evidence of his more limited offensive range post-injury.
“A career-high 61.1 percent of his shots this past season came from beyond the arc, and while you like to see him lean on his go-to strength, this also reflects that there isn’t a ton left in his arsenal beyond it,” Buckley continued. “Those injuries and age have done irreparable damage to his defense, but they also nearly silenced the volume of his inside-the-arc offense.”
Klay Thompson’s Value to Warriors Wasn’t Equal to His Value to Mavericks
GettyKlay Thompson, formerly of the Golden State Warriors.
While Thompson’s game outside of his 3-point effectiveness has degraded to at least some degree since his catastrophic injury luck that began five years ago, he remains a top-level 3-point shooter and floor spacer. And those skills remain highly sought after and highly compensated in the modern NBA, hence the contract he signed.
Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game during the 2023-24 campaign, connecting on 38.7% of his shots from behind the arc while attempting them at the substantial clip of 9 tries per contest, according to Basketball Reference. Buckley also noted that Thompson connected on 268 total 3-pointers over the 77 regular-season games in which he appeared, which was good enough for the fourth-highest total in the league.
Regardless of whatever his faults as a player may be, Thompson’s remaining elite skill is one that fits perfectly alongside a floor general like the Mavericks have in Luca Doncic. Thompson played 29.7 minutes per game for the Dubs last season, and if he can play that frequently for Dallas and defend at even a passable level, he may well be worth the $50 million he can earn over the next three seasons — particularly if his play helps put the Mavericks over the top in the West and earns the team its first championship since 2011.
That said, it would have been more difficult for the Warriors to justify paying Thompson at that level considering they were unable to get out of the Play-In Tournament last postseason and need a lot more than what Thompson could give them to get back to the NBA’s proverbial mountain top.
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