Finally, the curtain came down on where Klay was going to go, and he finally chose to join the Mavericks, and the first three-way trade package of this summer offseason was officially reached, as follows:
Hornets get: Josh Green;
The Mavericks get: Klay + a second-round pick (from the Hornets);
The Warriors get: two second-round picks (from the Hornets in 2025 and the Mavericks in 2031);
According to a report from Shams of The Athletic, it was a sign-and-trade deal in which Klay helped the Warriors get two second-round picks back, while the Warriors helped Klay get more salary packages. As a result, he was offered a three-year, $50 million contract, not a short-term contract.
At the same time, Clayburn could get a bigger contract, and there are teams willing to give him. But he chose to refuse, mainly because Texas has lower tax points, and the Mavericks gave him hope of winning the fifth championship of his career. After all, the Mavericks also promised to give Klay a more correct tactical position, that is, the role of the team's three leaders. In this way, this is much better than staying with the Warriors and playing as a bench, and it is obviously more suitable for a sensitive person like Klay. The Mavericks have also acquired a true top shooter, with half-shooters Jones Jr., Green, and Hardaway Jr. all having been sent away.
Shortly thereafter, the Warriors' official social media posted a farewell to Klay: We will retire Klay's No. 11 jersey in the future!
For the Warriors, instead of losing Klay for nothing, it is better to say goodbye to him by signing first and then trading, and can also gain two second-round picks; This is the same as the loss of Durant in the past, who was willing to sign with the team and then be sent away in order to keep some assets for the Warriors, which also indirectly helped the Warriors win the 2022 championship. While the Warriors management hasn't made much of a trade this summer, we can vaguely feel that the management is collecting some draft picks, and this move is likely to be in preparation for a big trade in the future.
In the deal, the Hornets acquired Josh Green, a 23-year-old guard, and only sent two second-round picks. The 23-year-old guard was drafted by the Mavericks with the 18th pick in the first round in 2020 and already has a lot of experience and is shooting nearly 39% from three-point range in '23-24, making him a promising 3-and-D.
I have to say that the Hornets really have a bit of a big brother for the Mavericks, after all, in the middle of the 23-24 season, they sent 3D Washington to the Mavericks through a trade, which is one of the reasons why the latter was able to reach the Finals. Now, I am willing to be willing to get Klay as a shooter for the Mavericks and participate in this three-way deal.