After winning four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors and spending the first 13 years of his career there, Klay Thompson shockingly left the franchise to join the Dallas Mavericks last offseason.
In his debut season with the Mavericks, Thompson averaged 14.0 points per game, his lowest mark since his rookie year, with 41.2/39.1/90.5 shooting splits. The 35-year-old sharpshooter’s time in the NBA is winding down, and he unfortunately just wasted a season.
With a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament on Friday, the Mavericks have been eliminated from playoff contention, and many are thinking Thompson might be second-guessing his decision to join Dallas.
Apr 16, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) sits on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
While that is what many fans are thinking, Thompson certainly is not. After Friday’s loss, Thompson was asked if he would’ve made the same decision to join the Mavericks last offseason, knowing what he knows now.
“Don’t do this to me. Don’t do that to me. Don’t do that,” Thompson said. “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. 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. I’m here in Dallas and I enjoyed my time and I’m looking forward to the future.”
Klay Thompson was asked if he would’ve made the same decision to join the Mavs last summer knowing what he knows now:
“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 & I don’t believe in going back…
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Of course, it is unfair to Thompson after everything that went down in Dallas this season. The Mavericks traded away superstar guard Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, just for Davis to get hurt and star point guard Kyrie Irving to suffer a season-ending ACL tear.
The Mavericks had as bad a season as anyone could have imagined, yet still came just one game away from a playoff appearance. Thompson and the Mavericks are in a good place going into next season.
