How Irving Influenced Klay’s Decision to Leave Warriors for Mavericks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
OAKLAND – Klay Thompson’s decision last month to move from the Bay Area to Texas was influenced by several factors, the biggest of which was the good fortune of one of his new teammates in Dallas.
According to Dallas coach Jason Kidd, Kyrie Irving was the main recruiter behind Thompson’s departure from the Warriors to the Mavericks.
“When you talk about recruiting, there were a lot of people involved. But one of the biggest players in that was Kai,” Kidd said on the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Dubs Talk,” which premiered Tuesday. “Kai was able to, player by player, (give details) about what Dallas was like for him two years in and give Klay the honest truth about what he thinks can happen with Klay coming to Dallas.”
This would be the second time Irving has broken the Warriors. The first time? It was in the 2017 NBA Finals. As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, his game- and series-deciding 3-pointer in Game 7 at Oracle Arena prompted Golden State to pursue Kevin Durant and cut much of their roster.
Interestingly, Irving, who is known as one of the most erratic figures in the NBA, is demonstrating an unprecedented level of stability and satisfaction.
Irving, unsettled after six seasons—and one NBA championship—with the Cleveland Cavaliers, wanted out. He was traded to Boston, committed to the Celtics, and signed with Brooklyn after 127 games when he became a free agent. Dissatisfied with the Nets after 143 games in three-plus seasons, Irving was traded to Dallas in February 2023.
Since joining the Mavericks, Kyrie has been productive and effective and, most importantly, happy. His decision to join the Nets with Kevin Durant was an orchestrated collaboration between the two. Irving’s decision to convince Thompson is one man selling his franchise to someone he respects.
“I’d love to say it was all me,” said Kidd, a key member of Dallas’ recruiting staff. “But it wasn’t. It was a team effort. But I think player-to-player — in this league, they all talk about their situations and they all recruit each other — this was about Kai and Klay being able to talk.
“And I also believe Klay did his homework, just understood the situation. It would have been easy for him to stay (with the Warriors or somewhere else in California). So he had to put in the effort to do some homework to see what Dallas was all about.”
When Thompson, a five-time NBA All-Star during his 12 years with Golden State, became an unrestricted free agent in July, the Mavericks were among several teams queuing for his services. He found it appealing that Texas has no state income tax and he appreciated the Mavericks’ status as Western Conference champions.
“Dallas is attractive because of the young players they have, the style of play, the first-class treatment they get from the organization,” Thompson told reporters at his introductory press conference in July. “Just a great city that loves their basketball.”
While Thompson’s relationship with the Warriors had cooled considerably, the Mavericks made him feel special. Kidd had a presentation ready. Highly respected general manager Nico Harrison, along with vice president of basketball operations—and former All-Star shooting guard—Michael Finley, were quick to meet with Thompson and his agent, Greg Lawrence.
But Irving, Thompson’s teammate on Team USA’s 2016 Olympic gold medal team, was the deciding factor. Facing former Cavaliers teammate LeBron James, who tried to lure Thompson to the Lakers, Irving won out despite the Mavericks offering a smaller financial package.
Thompson signs a three-year, $50 million contract with Dallas as part of a sign-and-trade transaction.
Kidd sees catch-and-shoot expert Thompson alongside playmakers Luka Doncic and Irving, and sees improvement for a team that went 24-9 in its final 33 regular-season games and 12-5 in the postseason before losing in five games to the Boston Celtics in the Finals.
“We really believe he gives us something we haven’t had, a guy who’s not afraid to get the ball,” Kidd said of Thompson. “He’s been in championship situations. He understands what it means. We believe we’re building a championship team. And because he’s a veteran, his experience in big games and then being able to play both ends, we really believe he’s going to create a lot of open shots for us and have fun.
“But we’re also going to lean on him because he’s won a championship. We’re going to need his advice and his leadership on this journey.”
Thompson, 34, will be the oldest man on the Dallas roster. His 158 postseason games are 12 more than the 146 played by Doncic and Irving combined. If this trio can take the Mavericks to new heights, Kidd will be the one who created the environment that gave Irving the peace of mind to become a franchise ambassador.
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