Mavericks' Klay Thompson move exposes a problem they still haven't fully solved

After months of speculation, the Dallas Mavericks finally decided what to do with 36-year-old veteran Klay Thompson: waive him. Although it's not what Mavs fans may have wanted, considering a trade felt plausible, it's what had to be done. However, the move is a double-edged sword for the Mavericks. Although cutting ties with Thompson was necessary, it further exposes their lack of shooting across the roster.

Dallas still has a shooting problem to solve

Thompson was one of two qualified Dallas Mavericks to average more than 1.5 3-pointers per game. Yes… That's it. Dallas was also one of just two teams league-wide to feature fewer than three players who averaged 1.5 or more triples per game, joining only the Detroit Pistons. However, Dallas is now returning only one player who cleared that mark.

While Dallas did make several offseason moves to remedy its shoddy outside shooting from a season ago, including trading for Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic, and Marcus Sasser, it just took another step back by parting ways with Thompson.

Moreover, while each of the three aforementioned players can shoot the rock, all three have some concerns.

Mavericks' new shooters come with some questions

First, Aldama averaged 1.6 threes per game on 35.0 percent accuracy, but he's a career 34.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc. The 7-foot Aldama should definitely be considered a stretch big, but he's not the most efficient marksman. For what it's worth, Aldama posted the same true shooting percentage as former Mav Brandon Williams, despite Williams shooting just 23.2 percent from three.

Second, Sasser is a career 38.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc, which looks stellar on paper, but he's attempted just 498 3-pointers across three professional seasons. Thompson attempted 527 triples last season alone. The efficiency is there. It's just that Sasser doesn't quite have the volume to back it up.

Lastly, some low-hanging fruit. Biberovic has yet to step on an NBA court. Sure, the 25-year-old shot the seams off the ball for Fenerbahce a season ago, drilling 45.8 percent of his threes. However, that efficiency doesn't always carry over. Recent EuroLeague stars such as Vasilije Micic, Nicolo Melli, and Sasha Vezenkov all saw their 3-point percentage dip upon making the move to the NBA.

So, while Dallas has attempted to fix its porous shooting from a season ago, it might not have been enough, especially now that its best shooter is off the team. Kyrie Irving's return will help, as will Cooper Flagg's progression as a shooter, but losing a knockdown and catch-and-shoot player like Thompson is a tough pill to swallow, even if it had to be done.

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