The Dallas Mavericks could double down on winning now by acquiring Klay Thompson in a blockbuster trade.
The Golden State Warriors will spend this season hoping to bring another banner to the Chase Center, with Klay Thompson hopefully re-signing on a team-friendly contract after that. Unless the Dallas Mavericks ultimately end up becoming Thompson’s new home via a midseason trade.
The Warriors and Thompson haven’t been able to come to an agreement on a contract extension this summer, meaning the four-time champion will likely test free agency and see what he can earn on the open market. With his desire to retire as a Warrior, it’s clear that there’s a number that Klay has already asked for. But if Golden State is unwilling to pay that price with an increasingly punitive CBA holding the team’s future in limbo, it may be time to make a move.
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The Mavericks have some win-now players that could help them get out of this jam.
Trade Details:
Golden State Warriors Receive: Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., Richaun Holmes
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Klay Thompson
The return doesn’t scream fantastic, but it gives the Warriors two crucial rotational players who can play as swingmen in the backcourt or start alongside Stephen Curry and Chris Paul.
The Golden State Warriors Keep Themselves Afloat
This trade is incredibly risky but presupposes a situation where Golden State has no choice but to deal Klay to a new team this season. In that case, the Warriors will have interesting pieces to offer back. The biggest piece would be Josh Green, who provides a new facet of 3-and-D play for the Warriors. Despite his unremarkable averages of 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, Green was a 40% shooter last season and is showing the potential to be a highly valuable 3-and-D defensive menace.
If Green’s development can continue in Golden State next to players like Curry who can improve his off-ball play, the Warriors could bear fruit from this acquisition almost immediately. Tim Hardaway Jr. isn’t on an expiring contract, so the Warriors get a veteran offensive option to take the offensive load when required. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
Holmes comes in as a salary filler but could provide some value to Golden State. They have a thin center rotation beyond Kevon Looney, with either Dario Saric or an out-of-position Draymond Green playing those minutes. Adding Holmes can give them a high-energy center that hustles for rebounds. He lost his place with the Kings last season but averaged 10.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in 2021/22.
The Dallas Mavericks Go All-In To Win Now
Taking on another expiring contract in a trade is risky business for Dallas, given all the rumors of Kyrie Irving trying to arrange meetings with other teams in the summer and failing. With a happy setting to offer with one of the best playmakers in the NBA, Thompson’s future happy home could be Dallas. His shooting would transform the franchise, especially with the shots Doncic is capable of creating.
Even as an occasional self-creator, Thompson averaged 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists last season. This was one of the best regular season years in his career, which is remarkable given he missed two-and-a-half seasons of NBA basketball due to a torn ACL and then a torn Achilles. Klay has been through a lot and is the exact personality the Mavericks needed. He’s cool, calm, and collected while also being outspoken enough to talk to his teammates when they need motivation.
Alongside Doncic and Irving, Thompson may just never miss a shot. Both Doncic and Irving are masters at making a defense collapse, which will benefit Klay so much. That’s why the Mavericks also re-signed Seth Curry this summer. Creating open shots is one of the best things Doncic does on the court, and Klay is the ideal partner for that play style. Even with the loss of Green and Hardaway Jr, the Mavs would accept Klay being the one to join them in such a deal.
Both Teams Stay On Their Paths
For the Warriors, this is a very important topic. This is an outlier trade that’s only likely in a situation where the Warriors have to get rid of Thompson before losing him for free. The Mavericks are offering legitimate value for a star who struggled in the 2023 Playoffs and reignited concerns about his health. Even though Klay played 69 games last season, the Warriors could find great value by using a supercharged Josh Green and an off-ball scorer like Hardaway Jr,
The Mavericks will lose a lot of depth in this deal but will hope that their rookies are somewhat ready to be competitive at the highest level of the NBA. The Mavs also look unlikely to fork out big money to keep Green on the team long-term, adding Thompson to their starting lineup next to Grant Williams and Dereck Lively II. Depending on if Klay can be an average to above-average defender, the Mavericks would be one of the scariest teams out West.
The Warriors will have Hardaway Jr. under contract for one more season, getting time to decide on integrating him into the roster or trading him on for another piece. Green could be a long-term fit on the roster, so Golden State can try and make something of one of their franchise cornerstones leaving in this fashion.
