On July 2, Beijing time, NBA blockbuster news! ESPN Woj reported that multiple sources revealed that Klay joined the Mavericks by signing first and then trading to join the Eastern European group! Klay Thompson's salary is reportedly $50 million over three years. Thompson had just tested the free agent market, and the results were very fast, and it seems that Thompson had already made a decision, and his move triggered four butterfly effects:
1. The Dallas Mavericks will once again enter the Finals. This season's Mavericks led by Doncic and Irving all the way to the Finals, but the Mavericks exposed the problem that the team did not have a stable three-point shooter in the Finals. And Thompson is one of the best three-point shooters in the league and can take his chances firmly. The addition of Thompson and the growth of Lively have given the Mavericks the ability to compete with the Celtics.
Second, Thompson's three-point shooting rate will rise from 38% to more than 42% next season. Thompson's three-point shooting ability is undoubted, the Splash Brothers live up to their name, Thompson did not have a ball-handling core like Doncic when he was in the Warriors, so Thompson did not have many opportunities to shoot in the open position, and basically needed to shoot three-pointers against the defense. And the Maverick Thompson's off-ball style of play is a perfect match for Doncic's ball-controlled play, and it is foreseeable that Thompson's three-point shooting rate will increase significantly next season.
3. The Golden State Warriors will begin to rebuild. Thompson only signed a 3-year, 50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks, which shows that Thompson is not unable to negotiate with the Warriors because of salary issues, but because the Golden State Warriors have withdrawn from the championship competition. Although the Golden State Warriors paid the highest luxury tax in the league last season, the aging players and unmatched salaries made it impossible to attract quality players to join, so the Golden State Warriors must begin to rebuild, otherwise they are destined to lose the championship in the future.
Fourth, James' dream of six crowns is shattered. After learning that Thompson would become a free agent, the Lakers were full of confidence, James took the initiative to cut his salary by $16 million to recruit Thompson, and the Lakers even took Russell as a bargaining chip, and offered Thompson a salary of $80 million for 4 years that was much higher than that of the Mavericks, but it did not attract Thompson. This shows that in Thompson's eyes, the Lakers' lineup is not enough to challenge for the championship, and perhaps only James still thinks that the Lakers can win the championship.
In short, Thompson's joining the Mavericks is a win-win for both himself and the Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors may take this opportunity to rebuild, the Lakers lose the championship opportunity again, and James may never win one more championship!