Mavericks' controversial Klay Thompson shift may be the shakeup he desperately needs

Last season for the Dallas Mavericks, Klay Thompson started in all 72 games that he played in and was a vital piece thanks to his knockdown 3-point shooting. Thompson proved that he can be a major difference-maker, even in his mid-30s, but his role could change significantly heading into next season.

It's clear that D'Angelo Russell, Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and either Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford will start, but Thompson's spot as the team's starting shooting guard is a major question mark.

Jason Kidd will undoubtedly roll with P.J. Washington or Thompson as the fifth starter, and considering that Kidd himself has talked about running an ultra-big lineup with Washington starting at the two, it shouldn't be a major shock if Thompson comes off the bench at some point next season.

Mavericks could ask Klay Thompson to come off the bench

This is a role that he is fairly unfamiliar with, as he has only come off the bench for 14 games since his rookie year, and this could be a decision that he isn't happy with. Thompson wasn't thrilled when Steve Kerr decided to roll with Brandin Podziemski in the starting unit rather than him, and Kidd sending him to the bench could trigger a similar reaction once again, depending on how much stock he puts into being a starter.

Thompson has already said that he is looking forward to growing as a leader next season, which could mean a shift to the bench wouldn't bother him, but his role would change significantly if Kidd decided to start Washington over him.

Rather than playing alongside the starters and potentially being left on the backburner of the game plan like he was last season, Thompson would become the focal point of the second unit while simultaneously emerging as a top bench player in the NBA. Kidd would be running actions for Thompson left and right to get him open looks, especially with the second unit's shot creation potentially being shaky, and we could see an uptick in his production with this shift.

Last season, Mavericks fans cringed at the sight of Thompson not getting shots at the beginning of games, and they begged for Kidd to get him more involved following the opening tip. Getting Thompson involved early and often typically worked in Kidd's favor, as Thompson's game highly depends on rhythm and confidence, and him becoming the Mavs' sixth man might be the needed change that no one realizes yet.

While the starting five's shooting would plummet without Thompson on the floor, his overall volume and usage could increase drastically. The second unit would likely include players like Brandon Williams, Max Christie, Dante Exum, and Gafford, and considering that Williams is the only player in that group who can consistently create his own shot, Thompson would be getting many more plays called for him.

On top of getting more plays called for him, we could even see Thompson's averages go up if he were sent to the bench. Last season for Dallas, Thompson averaged 14.0 points per game while shooting 39.1 percent from downtown, and he still has another level to get to if Kidd can get him more shots and get him more involved.

The bench unit would have far less mouths to feed, and Thompson would get to feast while being relied upon to be a spark plug and flamethrower. Sixth-man roles are meant for players like Thompson, and if Kidd can guarantee that he'll remain a focus, this could be a change that helps both Thompson and the Mavs significantly.