Signs are pointing to the Golden State Warriors losing star guard Klay Thompson when NBA free agency begins on June 30, 2024. Thompson’s destination could surprise as the Dallas Mavericks have emerged as the new favorites to land the guard, per NBA insider Marc Stein. It is a bit of a surprise as the Mavs have only recently been linked to Thompson following their NBA finals run.
“The prospect of Klay Thompson leaving the only team he has ever known is suddenly looking more and more like an inevitability as NBA free agency draws near,” Stein detailed in a June 29 Substack article titled, “More new twists in the looming free agent courtship of Klay Thompson.”
“The latest evidence of that: Amid a growing belief leaguewide that Thompson’s relationship with the Golden State Warriors is irretrievable, strong mutual interest between Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks is expected when free agency opens Sunday evening, league sources tell The Stein Line,” Stein continued.
“With the Warriors and Thompson nowhere close to a contract agreement after a tumultuous season marked by fractious negotiations, multiple sources have indicated that the Mavericks are likely to emerge as the favorite to sign the shooting guard whose Splash Brothers backcourt partnership with Stephen Curry helped the Warriors win four championships in a span of eight seasons from 2014-15 through 2021-22.”
How Will the Dallas Mavericks Be Able to Land Warriors Star Klay Thompson?
The big question is how the Mavs will be able to pull off such a move for Thompson. Despite having Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the roster, the Mavericks are projected to have more than $40 million in cap space, per Spotrac.
Dallas was able to create additional cap space by trading Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Detroit Pistons. Stein reported that it is unclear if Dallas would be able to pull off a sign-and-trade with Golden State for Thompson.
“If there is no 11th-hour rebound from the Warriors with Thompson and if the Mavericks successfully secure his free agent commitment after the marketplace officially opens Sunday at 6 PM ET, it is not immediately clear if a sign-and-trade could be negotiated … or if Dallas would also be able to retain sufficient financial pathways to likewise re-sign Derrick Jones Jr.,” Stein added.
There Is a ‘Growing Belief’ That Klay Thompson Will Bolt the Warriors in NBA Free Agency
Regardless of whether it is the Mavericks or another team with cap space like the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, the one constant appears to be Thompson playing in another uniform next season. Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes also reported that there is a “growing belief” that the Warriors will lose Thompson in NBA free agency.
According to Action Network’s Matt Moore, the Magic are willing to sign Thompson to a deal in the two-year, $50 million range. This may not be enough to compete with a contender like the Mavs.
“League sources suggest the Magic are willing to offer the Warriors’ Thompson or Caldwell-Pope short-term, big money deals starting at two years, $50 million,” Moore wrote in a June 27 story titled, “NBA Free Agency & Trade Rumors | An Outlook for All 30 Teams.” “The Magic are clearly looking for offensive boosts after having a bottom-10 unit.”
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