Warriors trade Klay Thompson to the Mavericks

There was a fascinating five-way blockbuster National Basketball Association trade that was finalized on Tuesday involving the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Charlotte Hornets according to nba.com. The Warriors traded five-time All-Star Klay Thompson of Los Angeles, California to the Dallas Mavericks for a second round pick in 2031. Golden State also gets the least favourable second round pick in 2025 NBA Draft involving the 76ers and Nuggets. Meanwhile, the Mavericks traded shooting guard and Australia’s own Josh Green of Sydney to the Hornets.

The biggest part of this trade was Thompson, who had a glorious 11 seasons with the Warriors. Yes, he had a significant Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury that forced him to miss the 2019-20 season, and an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the 2020-21 season, but when on the court and healthy, Thompson was integral part of the Warriors’s championship teams that won the NBA Finals in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. 

In 2023-24, Thompson, now at small forward after beginning his career at shooting guard, averaged 17.9 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, and 2.3 assists per game. He also had a field goal percentage of .432, three-point percentage of .387, and free throw percentage of .927. Thompson’s .927 free throw percentage led the NBA. He made 127 of 137 free throw attempts this past season.

Thompson was an NBA All-Star with the Warriors in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. He had a career high 22.3 points per game with Golden State in 2016-17.

Now with the Mavericks, Thompson becomes a legitimate big three in Big D that includes guards Luka Doncic of Ljubljana, Slovenia and Kyrie Irving of Melbourne. The Mavericks’s odds of winning the 2025 NBA Finals are +1100.