Could Klay Thompson have earned a much larger contract this past offseason?
Last offseason, Klay Thompson decided to disband the Golden State Warriors and the dynasty in which he was a crucial part of in exchange for a change of scenery. It was past due, as it appeared as if the Warriors weren’t going to be able to contend for a title again with their core.
Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks, inking a three-year, $50 million deal. The Warriors and Mavericks facilitated a three-team sign-and-trade to land the elite sharpshooter in the DFW.
The experiment with Thompson alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving has looked solid with the new season’s early returns, though.
Could Thompson have landed a larger contract this past offseason, though?
Thompson has won four championships while being regarded as one of the best sharpshooters in NBA history. However, the discourse around Thompson last season and this offseason was absurd given how much success he’s had in the league. He’s had two major surgeries, yet he is a productive player who won a championship just a few years ago.
Gilbert Arenas took to “Gil’s Arena” to make his thoughts on Thompson known.
“I feel bad for Klay…If you take his name off of his stats, everybody is lining up… $30-$40 million per year,” Arenas said. “Buddy Hield is playing very well right now. If he had those stats coming in, y’all would have gave him $120 million. When you really want to make someone irrelevant, you look at what you want to look at.”
With the salary cap continuing to rise, players who are averaging right around 20 points per game while proving incredible floor spacing are being signed to large contracts.
According to Arenas, the narrative around Thompson and his name is the only reason he didn’t land a large contract.
While the financial aspect of Thompson’s move to the Mavericks is certainly an important one, the on-court fit and narrative matters, too. He gets to leave the Bay Area — and the West Coast altogether — in favor of a large market in Dallas.
Now, with a new fanbase, Thompson is beloved and his play is anticipated, which wasn’t the case with Golden State anymore.
With Doncic and Irving running the show, Thompson gets to reap the benefits of a star-studded duo. He gets high-quality 3-point attempts handed to him with the scoring gravity of his teammates.
The Mavericks were in the NBA Finals just a season ago, and they made a key addition with the sharpshooting wing. Thompson will be able to thrive in a newer role, too, as the grass might just be greener in Dallas at this stage in his career.
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