Report: Klay felt becoming a member of Lakers was too much like re-joining Warriors initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Bay Space
Klay Thompson wanted a recent begin after spending 13 years with the Warriors, and the Dallas Mavericks supplied that.
The Los Angeles Lakers, nevertheless, didn’t.
After it was reported that Thompson narrowed his free-agent resolution right down to the Mavericks and Lakers, many — together with the sharpshooter’s father — questioned why he didn’t head to Hollywood. Effectively, the state of affairs in Los Angeles reportedly appeared too much like the one in San Francisco, in Thompson’s eyes.
“However one thing about enjoying for the Lakers apparently felt an excessive amount of like enjoying for the Warriors,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews reported in a function story Wednesday. “As one supply near him put it, ‘Would this be buying and selling one fishbowl for one more?’
“All Thompson had talked about within the two weeks since he had determined and accepted that his time with the Warriors was over was wanting ‘new experiences’ and a ‘recent begin.’ Dallas appeared like a greater place to get that.”
Thompson left Golden State after it embarrassingly missed the NBA playoffs for the primary time with the trio of himself, Steph Curry and Draymond Inexperienced all wholesome. Infamously, Thompson shot 0-for-10 within the Warriors’ season-ending NBA Play-In Event loss to the Sacramento Kings in April.
The Lakers, equally unhappy, completed the 2023-24 common season because the Western Convention’s No. 7 seed and have been swept by the Denver Nuggets within the first spherical, an enormous disappointment contemplating the hype a staff with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves receives on a nightly foundation.
Would Thompson have been coming into an analogous state of affairs with Los Angeles? Most likely.
There isn’t a telling what his position could be with the Lakers. Thompson very effectively might have discovered himself on the bench behind Reaves or Russell the identical manner he did behind then-Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski. Or, Thompson might need been a starter.
Regardless, Thompson definitely could be beneath heavy scrutiny — rather more than he was within the Bay — for the tiniest of lapses. Los Angeles sports activities followers are a number of the most passionate with uncomforting expectations, and the 34-year-old definitely doesn’t want any of that in his life proper now — as a four-time NBA champion, particularly.
As an alternative, Thompson sought out the steadiness between title rivalry, alternative and fewer consideration that finally he discovered with Dallas.
It doubtless was flattering for Thompson to know the staff he grew up rooting for, which nonetheless employs his Lakers player-turned-broadcaster father, badly needed him. It additionally doesn’t harm that the most effective basketball gamers on the earth was keen to take a pay lower for him, Shelburne and Andrews reported, citing sources.
Nevertheless it seems James and Los Angeles didn’t supply the fitting match for Thompson, with the previous Warriors star needing to get away from his struggles in California and search greener pastures within the Lone Star State.
The Mavericks, coming off an NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics, probably have been a Thompson away from being this season’s ring-winners. They will be within the combine once more subsequent season.
Thompson is coming into a recent state of affairs with new gamers keen to stay contenders, whereas the Warriors and Lakers are years faraway from their glory days whereas sporting nearly the identical rosters.
It’s protected to say Thompson made the fitting resolution by becoming a member of Dallas over Los Angeles.
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