Rumors: Mavericks and Lakers battling to sign all-time great shooter

The Dallas Mavericks shocked the world on opening night of free agency.

With most everyone thinking that the Mavs re-signing Derrick Jones Jr. was imminent considering Nico Harrison said that was Dallas' main priority this summer, they pivoted and signed Naji Marshall to a three-year deal.

This shocked everyone at first, but it sounds like Jones Jr. switching agents right before free agency complicated things, and the Mavs went with the pivot that was heavily reported on over the past few days.

Now that Marshall is locked up with the Mavs on a three-year, $27 million deal, what's next for Dallas?

Rumors: Mavericks and Lakers battling to sign Klay Thompson

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavs "(remain) focused on securing a commitment from Klay Thompson and completing a sign-and-trade that lands Thompson into its looming Tim Hardaway Jr. trade exception."

Stein then details that Dallas hoped to make a move for Klay Thompson while also re-signing Jones Jr., but now that's off the table, the Mavs have to beat out the Los Angeles Lakers to sign Thompson.

Jake Fischer dove into this earlier today on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, and he said that Thompson is "deciding between Dallas and the Lakers."

Both teams would be pursuing a sign and trade for Thompson, and it's come down to these two teams. Thompson could either sign with Dallas and have the chance to win an NBA Finals as soon as next year, or he could stay in California and join the Lakers.

This won't be an easy test for Thompson, and both options have their perks, but this seems like it would be a big blow for the Mavs if they missed out on signing him. It would be heartbreaking for Mavs fans to see him join the Lakers, and it doesn't help that the other star wing the Mavs were linked to, Tobias Harris, just signed with the Detroit Pistons.

If the Mavs did find a way to land Thompson, they'd be landing one of the best shooters of all time. For his career, Thompson averaged 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 41.3 percent from downtown, and he'd immediately have the chance to become a fan favorite in Dallas.

Having three Hall of Famers in the starting lineup in Doncic, Irving, and Thompson would be a terrific trio, and Thompson is an outstanding fit. Doncic creates some of the most open looks in the league, and now it's up to Thompson to see if he picks the Mavs or Lakers.

Dallas has been linked to Thompson since April, and now the waiting game begins to see what Thompson decides to do.

For all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks and their intense pursuit of Klay Thompson, stay tuned as we'll have you covered.