The Golden State Warriors helped Klay Thompson become a legend by putting him in the best positions to succeed. Fans will never forget his 43-point game where he dribbled four times. He is a legend and an all-time great shooter, but the Mavericks are finding out that Thompson must be set up to succeed.
Dallas started the year with rookie Cooper Flagg playing point guard. It resulted in four wins in their first 18 games, and Klay was shooting 32.1 percent from 3-point range. The five-time All-Star’s defense has slipped in recent years, so he can’t afford to miss shots. The Mavs were outscored by 45 points with him on the floor, and change was necessary.
Things have improved since Dallas started playing Ryan Nembhard and using Brandon Williams as the point guard. The Warriors know Klay needs someone to set the table. Even Thompson knew it. He chose to go to Dallas to play with Luka Doncic. Klay didn’t expect Dallas to trade him months after making the NBA Finals, but it was just another reason for the Mavs to regret the worst trade in the history of sports.
Klay Thompson needs a shot creator to unlock his game
Over his last 17 games, Klay has shot 39.8 percent from 3-point range and averaged 12.3 points in 22.5 minutes per contest. He is no longer a nightly 20-point scorer, but Thompson still has shooting gravity. No team wants to leave him open.
The Mavericks are playing him off shot creators and finding ways to maximize his production. Thompson still has a negative 0.1 value over replacement player (VORP) for the season. His VORP has dropped for three straight years and is at an all-time low. Klay is clearly declining, but Dallas has to maximize what he has left.
Thompson is under contract for the 2026-27 season at $17.4 million. Teams won’t be eager to trade for him, and the four-time champion would have to force his way out of Dallas. It could be a swap of negative contracts or just finding a team that desperately needs shooting.
It may not look like it now, but Klay is still an elite shooter. Things improved when the Mavericks started playing a point guard. Golden State has long known that Thompson must be put in positions to succeed. He can still shoot the lights out if Dallas has a lead guard drawing the defense and creating open looks.
Nobody wanted to see Klay leave the Warriors. Stephen Curry made his feelings clear ahead of the Dubs’ Christmas Day showdown against the Mavs. Thompson will always be a Warriors legend, but fans didn’t get the storybook ending. The sharpshooter decided it was best to move on, but has several reasons to regret it.
He may have been wrong. Klay barely got to play with Luka Doncic before the stunning trade. The Mavs have struggled to find a point guard since, and the problems were compounded by Kyrie Irving’s ACL injury.
The Golden State Warriors know all of Klay Thompson’s flaws. He certainly must be put in positions to succeed. Golden State had Curry and Draymond Green running the offense and creating opening looks for Klay Thompson and others.
The Mavs must alter their roster around the future Hall of Famer or send him packing. It is the only way to maximize whatever Klay has left, so stay tuned to see how it all plays out.