5 Dallas Mavericks who benefit the most from Klay Thompson signing

The Dallas Mavericks entered this offseason coming off an NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics in five games. Dallas showed signs of life at certain points of the series and even blew out the Celtics in Game 5, but they weren't strong enough to beat them.

Dallas was looking to address their shooting this offseason, and they clearly needed a third scorer, and the Mavs were able to kill two birds with one stone to address these needs.

Dallas signed Klay Thompson to a three-year, $50 million deal in free agency, and the Mavs now have one of the greatest shooters of all time next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

5 Dallas Mavericks who benefit the most from Klay Thompson signing

Thompson is ecstatic to be a Maverick, and he clearly wanted a fresh start.

Thompson chose the Mavericks over the Lakers, and they are gaining someone who is going to help them tremendously right away. He is locked in on winning his fifth ring, and he fully believes that he can reach that goal as a member of the Mavs.

He is bound to fit seamlessly with those around him, and Jason Kidd will assign him a role that best fits his strengths. Here are five players who benefit the most from the Mavs signing Thompson.

5. P.J. Washington

The Dallas Mavericks acquired P.J. Washington at the trade deadline last season, and despite some shaky shooting to start his time in Dallas, he took his play to the next level in the playoffs. Washington averaged 17.7 points per game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, and they made OKC pay for leaving him open.

Washington shot 46.9 percent from three in that series, and he was knocking down 3.8 threes per game. He was the Mavs' third scorer in that series, and he excelled in his role.

While Washington had a great series against the Thunder, the following two series were not as great. His 3-point shooting plummetted, and doubts arose about if he could truly become the team's third scorer.

Now, with Klay Thompson joining the team, Washington will be the team's fourth or fifth option on offense, and that is much more fitting for him. Having Thompson on the floor with him will allow him to get tons of open looks as the defense will be focused on giving him no airspace, and it could look like the Thunder series all over again for Washington when he's playing with Thompson.

Thompson commands so much attention individually, and Washington will be getting plenty of open looks from around the arc.

4. Dereck Lively II

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II put the league on notice throughout his rookie year as he became a key piece to Dallas winning games, but the playoffs is when his game really shined.

Lively II was clearly the best center on the Mavericks roster, and they suffered when he missed a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a neck injury. His value to the team stretches way beyond the stat sheet, and his ability to anchor the defense as a rookie was phenomenal.

Offensively, Lively II is a great lob finisher and his touch in the paint is improving. He is also working on his 3-point jumper, and his game is poised to take another big jump this offseason.

Lively II's playstyle is going to fit perfectly next to Klay Thompson, and Thompson even talked about it during his introductory press conference.

Thompson talked about how well he fit with Trayce Jackson-Davis while playing for the Warriors, and this should transition into him playing with Lively II. Thompson is good in the pick and roll, and he loves feeding his big men.

His passing in the two-man game is one of the most underrated parts of his game, and Lively II will feast when cutting to the basket as they just added another good passer to this roster.

Having multiple players who can operate in the pick and roll will be huge for Dallas, and they continue to build a complimentary roster.

3. Luka Doncic

During Klay Thompson's introductory press conference, he talked about the "mutual respect" that he and Luka Doncic have for each other and how Doncic excitedly reached out to him after he signed with the team.

Thompson is a fan of Doncic's competitive nature and his game as a whole, and Doncic is going to benefit massively from having Thompson as a teammate now.

There were so many times last season that Doncic would fire an unearthly pass to an open shooter on the perimeter, but they'd miss the shot. Doncic thrives when having sharpshooters on the floor with him, and Thompson will undoubtedly be the best shooter he has ever played with.

Having Thompson on the floor with Doncic will give him more space to operate down low considering all the attention that Thompson commands, and he'll also turn missed shots from last year into swishes.

Thompson is one of the best catch-and-shoot players that this league has ever seen, and he is a dream fit next to Doncic. He has needed a running mate like Thompson who can hit threes at a high clip, and these two are going to dominate the Western Conference with the help of Kyrie Irving.

Thompson is also one of the best off-ball movers ever, and Doncic excels when sharing the floor with active off-ball movers. He always finds them at the perfect time, and this trio has the chance to be extremely special.

2. Kyrie Irving

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving at the 2023 trade deadline, things didn't go as planned right away. Luka Doncic and Irving didn't fit together right away, and it took time for them to learn how to play together.

This should have been expected, regardless of what fans wanted to say, and now Irving and Doncic are an elite tandem. They figured out their clutch woes, and their off-court bond grew to new heights. The duo spent time together at dinners, and it was obvious from the outside looking in that they were visibly closer.

Fast forward to this summer, and now Irving is playing with Klay Thompson, another player who he is particularly close with. Irving helped recruit Thompson to Dallas, and he harped on how this organization made him feel at peace.

Thompson needed to be at peace after playing for the Golden State Warriors for so long, and Irving having another close friend on the team will only help him love Dallas even more.

Thompson will also give Irving plenty of spacing to work, and he will help his assist numbers rise due to his efficient shooting. Irving's trust in his teammates is always high, and him playing with Thompson is going to lead to limitless threes.

Thompson, Irving, and Doncic form one of the greatest big threes in NBA history, and Thompson is going to make the game easier for Irving on and off the floor.

1. Daniel Gafford

Just like Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford is someone who thrives in the pick and roll. Gafford's offensive game is dependent on lob dunks and second-chance opportunities, and he is at his best when he is sharing the floor with good passers.

Luka Doncic and Gafford had a great connection during his first year with the team, and Gafford got plenty of dunks off of lobs from Doncic. This duo is going to be strong again going into next year, and Gafford is someone who will benefit from the Klay Thompson signing.

Just like Lively II, Gafford is at his best when he receives a pass toward the rim out of the pick and roll. Thompson talked about how these two bigs are going to fit with him well during his press conference, and these two getting on the same page early will be scary for opposing defenses.

Gafford isn't as good in the short roll as Lively II, but he and Thompson will benefit from each other when sharing the floor. Gafford screens will get Thompson open looks, and when the defense collapses on Thompson, he'll be able to feed the ball to Gafford in the paint for an easy dunk.

Thompson looks like he is going to be an amazing fit with those around him, and he can't wait to get to work. He talked about how excited he is to be a Maverick countless times, and seeing this team on the floor together for the first time is going to be a sight to see.

For all the latest on Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks all offseason long, stay tuned.