Shortly after free agency started, Klay Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks. It marked the end of his incredible run with the Golden State Warriors.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews provided new information on Thompson’s departure from the Bay Area.
It turns out Thompson’s camp made one final offer to the Warriors before exploring the market. They asked for a two-year deal that would pay the four-time NBA champ roughly $20 million per season.
The Warriors reportedly told Thompson, “We just can’t do it yet.”
Per this report from ESPN, the Warriors weren’t against the idea of re-signing Thompson. They just wanted to make other moves prior to bringing him back.
Once Thompson realized it wasn’t going to work out, he locked in on the Mavericks.
Dallas was his top choice. He loved the way the Mavericks played and believed he’d be an ideal fit alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, sources said. He came into a dinner meeting with the Mavericks’ front office having studied tape of the team and already projecting out how he could help them.
Although his time the Warriors ended on a sour note, Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game this past season on 38.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
The hope for the Mavericks is that Thompson is the missing piece to their championship puzzle.
Related: Steph Curry Breaks Silence On Klay Thompson Leaving The Warriors