Klay Thompson trade rumors coming true would worsen Mavericks' biggest flaw

Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Klay Thompson has already been in trade rumors this offseason, and if Dallas trades their legendary sharpshooter, their 3-point shooting will suffer immensely. This issue quietly ballooned into their biggest flaw last season, and every aspect of their offense declined because of it.

While trading Thompson does make some sense, given that the Mavericks are now on Cooper Flagg's timeline and Thompson is on an expiring contract, there's a hefty price that comes with a trade.

Thompson has been one of the Mavericks' best shooters over the last two seasons, shooting 38.7 percent from three since signing with Dallas in the summer of 2024.

Mavericks' shooting would suffer if they trade Thompson

This is obviously a downtick from his production as a Golden State Warrior, but the former Splash Brother still has some gas left in the tank. He wants to win another championship, and his passion and competitiveness are still evident every time he steps on the floor.

Thompson has been one of the few players on the team who has consistently been able to knock down open shots. Even with Thompson shooting nearly 39 percent from long range last season on 7.6 attempts per game, the Mavs were one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA.

For context, Thompson's 7.6 3-pointers attempted per game ranked 19th in the NBA. His 2.9 3-pointers made per game ranked 20th in the league. Even at 36 years old, Thompson provided significant value for a team that was desperate for more shooting with Kyrie Irving sidelined for the season due to an ACL tear.

Dallas would need to replace Thompson's shooting quickly

No one else on Dallas' 15-man roster was in the top 50 for 3-pointers attempted or made per game, and Max Christie came in second on the team behind Thompson in these stats. He ranked 60th in 3-pointers attempted per game and 73rd in 3-pointers made per game.

Without Thompson, this would put pressure on Christie's shoulders to dramatically increase his volume as he enters his fifth season in the NBA. He showed progress in this area last season, but that's a lot to ask for.

Dallas shot 34.4 percent from 3-point range during the 2025-26 season, which ranked in the bottom five in the NBA. They also ranked in the bottom four in 3-pointers attempted and made per game. The Mavericks already struggled to take and make threes, and trading one of the best volume shooters in NBA history could make this issue spiral into a disaster.

Dallas' lack of spacing made their other problems on offense even worse, as Flagg's driving lanes were constantly clogged due to poor shooting around him.

During Masai Ujiri's introductory press conference last month, he said that he'd like to add more shooting around Flagg. He is obviously the team's new franchise cornerstone, and Ujiri recognizes that their shooting wasn't up to par. Dallas can't expect to compete in a loaded Western Conference without more shooting, especially if Flagg's jumper doesn't improve.

Thompson has been one of the bright spots for the Mavericks' shooting, and if they trade him, they have to make sure to bring in a top-tier shooter through free agency or the draft. His departure would leave a massive hole that many fans are overlooking, and Dallas' shooting could remain a work in progress if they don't play their cards right.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow