Mavericks Understand Why Warriors Let Go of Klay Thompson
The Golden State Warriors recognized that Klay Thompson was declining in his final year with the team. Because of this, he was benched for 14 games during the second half of that season and wasn't guaranteed a starting role moving forward. This led to Thompson signing with the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent.
Now, the Mavericks see why the Warriors were willing to let the 5-time All-Star go. After signing a three-year, $50 million contract in the 2024 offseason, Thompson was demoted to the bench for the first time in his 80th game with Dallas.
Thompson’s playing time had been decreasing at the start of the season, which was expected due to his lackluster performance and the Mavericks’ struggles, having a 2-5 record and sitting 14th in the Western Conference as of Wednesday night.
“Thompson was frustrated when moved to the bench by Steve Kerr on February 15 last year, but he took that out on the Utah Jazz in a memorable 35-point, six-rebound performance on 7-of-13 shooting from 3-point range.”
His response during Wednesday’s game was less explosive, yet still one of his better performances this season, coming off a career-low average of 8.1 points per game on 31.8% shooting from the field and 26.2% from three-point range.
Summary
Klay Thompson’s declining form led the Warriors to bench him and eventually let him join the Mavericks, who are now experiencing the challenges that come with his reduced impact on the court.