When Klay Thompson made the huge decision to leave the Golden State Warriors last offseason, he believed he could be the key piece in helping the Dallas Mavericks go a step further after an NBA Finals appearance.
Unfortunately things have panned out in a way that no one, not least Thompson, could have expected. After the stunning Luka Doncic trade and a season-ending torn ACL for Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks' tumultuous season officially came to an end on Friday when they were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the final Play-In Tournament game.
Klay Thompson will watch on as the Warriors and Lakers compete in the playoffs
The former Warrior guard was a huge factor in Dallas' road win against the Sacramento Kings in the first Play-In game, having scored 16 second-quarter points as part of a 23-point performance on 8-of-11 shooting and 5-of-7 from 3-point range.
Thompson was less efficient but still one of the Mavericks' best in Friday's loss, going for 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting in what resulted as his final game of the season. Anthony Davis also went for 40 points in 37 minutes, but it wasn't enough for Dallas in a 120-106 defeat.
After also being eliminated during the Play-In tournament in his final year with the Warriors, a second-straight playoff absence won't sit well with Thompson who's made his reputation in big games where it matters most.
However, the dark reality of an early exit is also worsened for Thompson when you consider Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers have secured their own playoff berth. The 4x champion left the Warriors to join Doncic and Irving in Dallas, turning down a more financially lucrative four-year, $80 million deal from the Lakers.
Thompson was left frustrated when asked directly about his decision in the post-game and whether upon reflection, he would have made a different decision to stay with the Warriors or join the Lakers instead.
"Don't do this to me. Don't do that to me. Don't do that. That's kind of a ridiculous question because I don't own a time machine and I don't believe in going back or looking back," Thompson said (via Mike Curtis). "If I did that my whole career, I would not be where I'm at and I wouldn't have been able to persevere through two really hard injuries."
While Thompson may be comfortable with his decision, there would undoubtedly be some frustration on how his first year in Dallas has played out. Who knows where and what the future has in store, particularly given Nico Harrison has shown he's willing to do anything with the Doncic trade.