NBA Rumors: Mavs’ Luka Dončić ‘Really Ecstatic’ About Klay Thompson Contract in FA

Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Dončić is reportedly looking forward to the opportunity to play alongside Klay Thompson following his arrival from the Golden State Warriors.

Speaking Tuesday on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said the following regarding Dončić’s feelings regarding the Thompson signing: “My understanding is Luka is really ecstatic. I know that the people who are over on this side of the pond are awfully excited about this.”

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that the Mavs and Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade deal in free agency.

Thompson spent 13 years with Golden State and played 11 seasons, establishing himself as a five-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion during that time.

He also cemented his status as one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history, making 41.3 percent of his career three-point attempts and ranking sixth in career trifectas made with 2,481.

Thompson, 34, missed back-to-back seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21 with knee and Achilles injuries, robbing him of two prime years.

However, he managed to bounce back and play at a high level each of the next two seasons, averaging over 20 points per game and helping the Dubs win their fourth championship in eight years in 2022.

Things changed last year, though, as Thompson got off to an agonizingly slow start. He did improve as the season went on, but he still finished with one of the worst stat lines of his career, averaging 17.9 points, 3.5 three-pointers made, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, and shooting 43.2 percent from the field and an uncharacteristically low 38.7 percent from beyond the arc, which was the second-worst mark of his career.

Thompson’s decline may have played a role in him and the Warriors failing to come to terms on a new contract, but Golden State’s loss could be Dallas’ gain.

The sharpshooter will join a Mavs team that reached the NBA Finals last season, and he will be slotted in as the third star they were looking for to play alongside Dončić and Kyrie Irving.

While there will undoubtedly be pressure on Thompson to perform, it will arguably be less than he experienced last season in Golden State when he was still expected to be the 1A scoring option behind Stephen Curry.

In Dallas, Thompson can settle in as the clear No. 3 option behind Dončić and Irving and focus primarily on knocking down the open triples they help facilitate for him.

Aside from Dante Exum, who only attempted two three-pointers per game, Irving was the only Mavs player to shoot 40 percent or better from long range last season.

Thompson has routinely done that throughout his career, and if he can bounce back slightly from last season, he promises to be an ideal fit in Dallas.