Klay Thompson trade rumors set to worsen Mavericks' toughest problem

The Dallas Mavericks are exploring trades for Klay Thompson, but trading him could tank the team's shooting to devastatingly low levels. The Mavericks are already struggling from beyond the arc, and getting rid of one of the best shooters on the team, and in league history, is bound to make that problem worse.

Dallas has struggled shooting threes ever since the end of last season, and the front office didn't do too much over the offseason to fix this issue. Mavericks fans were extremely skeptical of the team's offense, especially their shooting, heading into the 2025-26 season, and their worries have been justified thus far.

Through 25 games, the Mavericks are 25th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game at 11.7 and 26th in 3-point percentage at 34.1. They have been going through a major dry spell from downtown over the first month and a half of the season, and Thompson has been one of the few steady sources of production in that area as of late.

Mavericks' shooting would nosedive if Klay Thompson leaves

He is taking his performance up a notch at the perfect time, as his trade value could be rising right in time for Dallas to move on, but fulfilling his desire of playing for a contender comes with more risks than Mavs fans are comfortable with admitting.

Over the last seven games, Thompson is averaging 14.7 points per game while making 3.9 threes per game on 45.8 percent shooting on these shots. He is never afraid to let it fly and is typically efficient as a 3-point shooter, but the same can't be said for many of his teammates.

Thompson and Max Christie are the only two Mavericks players who are averaging over two 3-pointers made per game, and the only player on the team outside of those two who is draining over 1.5 threes per game is P.J. Washington. Dallas is not shooting well from long range, and the shooting percentages from many of their players show that.

As shown by the graph above, several Mavericks' efficiency on threes has declined significantly over the last year. Washington went from being one of the more consistent shooters on the team to posting below-average shooting splits, and we've seen Brandon Williams' and Cooper Flagg's shooting numbers fall off a cliff since last season as well.

Dallas' identity was never going to be built on 3-point shooting this season, as Nico Harrison's former vision was to dominate with size and defense, but trading Thompson would strip them of a top shooter on the team. Christie will be ready to replace him if they do indeed move on from Thompson, but their offense could get even worse if they trade Thompson before the trade deadline on February 5.

The Mavericks are already the 29th-ranked offense in the NBA at 108.6 points per 100 possessions, and we could see that number dip without Thompson in the mix. Ryan Nembhard's ascension has worked wonders for Thompson recently, as he has helped him get many more open looks compared to what he was getting earlier in the season, and his momentum would be halted if they punt on him.

Moving on from Thompson would be understandable if they're looking to build around Flagg and rebuild, but if they want to push for the playoffs, they may want to keep him. Their 3-point shooting numbers don't lie, and if they want to turn their season around and potentially be a play-in team, he needs to be a key part of that.