Klay Thompson was born in Los Angeles, California while his father Mychal was playing for the Lakers. He played high school basketball in Orange County, setting records as a shooter. He spent the first 11 seasons of his career in California while playing for the Golden State Warriors. Now, one year after leavin the state to play for the Dallas Mavericks, he could be on his way back.

The Dallas Mavericks are a very different team than they were when they signed Thompson last summer. General Manager Nico Harrison shockingly traded MVP candidate Luka Doncic in February, getting back All-Defense big man Anthony Davis. The team’s other star guard, Kyrie Irving, tore his ACL in March and will miss most of next season.

Thompson had a good, not great, 12th season in the league, averaging just 14 points in Dallas last season — his lowest since his rookie season. He shot 39.1 percent from deep but regressed from 2-point range and on defense. He didn’t make himself indispensable to the Mavericks, in other words.

Now, as Dallas looks to make changes this offseason, one of their best pathways to matching salary in a trade is to move on from Klay Thompson. The onetime Splash Brother makes $16.7 million in the second year of the three-year, $50 million deal he signed last season. The Mavericks can use that salary to bring in an on-ball creator to keep the offense afloat as Irving recovers. Especially at this stage in his career, that is a role that Thompson should not be filling.

Where could Thompson be headed? Dallas needs to find a trade target who is good enough to be their primary shot creator without Irving while not being so expensive that they cannot justify the cost; at the same time, they would be best off finding a team that values Thompson as a positive asset, not merely matching salary in a trade.

That combination may just bring Klay home to California.

Klay Thompson could be traded to the Sacramento Kings

90 minutes (on a good day) up I-80 from the Warriors are the Sacramento Kings, a team in just as much turmoil as the Dallas Mavericks. There is significant history between the two franchises, including a seven-game series that ended the Kings’ first playoff run in 20 years in 2023. The following year, the Kings got hot from deep as Klay went ice cold in his final game for the Warriors, and Sacramento knocked Golden State out of the Play-In Tournament in 2024.

DeMar DeRozan profiles as an ideal fit for the Dallas Mavericks to replace Kyrie Irving for this season, the epitome of an offensive floor-raiser and with only one season of fully-guaranteed money on his contract. Making $24.7 million, it would be simple enough for the Mavericks to match his salary by pairing Klay Thompson and another contract such as Naji Marshall.

What’s more, the Kings are likely at the top of the list of teams that would value Klay Thompson. Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadive is a former Warriors minority owner and has long been discussed as valuing the Warriors, and adding a legend from their dynasty would almost certainly be alluring. What’s more, after trading away Kevin Huerter at the Trade Deadline, they could use a movement shooter to add to the mix.

While the Warriors have already faced Klay a number of times, with Thompson having some of his best games of the season against his former team, having their onetime star playing just 80 miles away would be bizarre. The two teams both play in the Pacific Division, ensuring that they would play at least four times each season.

Would the Warriors be open to a reunion? Perhaps if Klay were to be bought out of his contract or hit free agency, but as it stands they are managing fine financial margins and Klay’s limitations at this point in his career don’t make sense for a significant investment in cap space.

Yet it could be that Klay Thompson soon returns to California and sets up shop just up the road, playing for an in-state rival. The surreal story continues for the one core member of the dynasty to take his talents elsewhere — and the next surprise twist is yet to be written.