Fresh Klay Thompson report makes his Mavericks tenure look even worse

Klay Thompson was bought out by the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, and he is expected to sign a contract with the Miami Heat to unite with Giannis Antetokounmpo in free agency. Dallas buying out Thompson isn't the best look, as one of the greatest shooters ever should have some trade value, and a recent report about the four-time NBA champion reveals just how sideways his time with the Mavericks went.

Thompson signed a three-year contract with Dallas in the summer of 2024 with hopes that he could help them win their second title in franchise history. The Mavs had just made the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, and Thompson was excited to play with Luka Doncic and pursue his fifth ring.

Klay Thompson purposely avoided Anthony Davis in free agency

Instead of getting to play with Doncic during his time with the Mavericks, he was forced to play with the exact player he didn't want to play with: Anthony Davis. Doncic and Thompson played just 21 games together before Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and this trade brought the Mavericks a player, Davis, who played just 29 games during his entire career in Dallas due to various injuries.

The Lakers offered Thompson a more lucrative contract than the Mavericks the same summer he signed with Dallas, and one of the reasons that Thompson picked the Mavs is because of his doubts regarding Davis' health. He didn't believe that his potential running mate in Los Angeles could stay on the court.

According to Christian Clark of The Athletic, "one of the reasons Thompson chose the Mavericks over the Lakers was that he had concerns about Davis’ availability."

Thompson was right about Davis

While Thompson didn't choose to play with Davis, his concerns about the star big man were quickly proven right after Dallas traded for him. Davis got injured in his first game as a Maverick and only played 29 games during his time with the team.

Davis' injuries, among other factors, caused Dallas to miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Not only did Thompson get forced to play with a player whom he strategically avoided in free agency, but the move to bring in this player kept them from achieving his biggest goal at this stage of his career: winning.

Thompson's time with the Mavericks did not go according to plan

The Mavs would've been in a much better spot if they hadn't traded Doncic for Davis and kept the Doncic-led roster together. This would've kept Thompson happier, put the team in a better position to win, and kept them from making the most controversial trade in NBA history.

Thompson was a fan favorite during his time in Dallas due to his strong 3-point shooting, and the results of the past two seasons have not been his fault. He has been a true professional through all of the adversity he battled as a Maverick, and the report about Thompson's preference to not play with Davis makes his time in Dallas look even more grim than before.

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