A new report reveals the unusual reason why Klay Thompson passed on an opportunity to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, despite the team offering him the sort of money he was looking for.
There has been no bigger story in the NBA over the last week than the Golden State Warriors Big Three era coming to an end. For months there were rumblings that franchise great Klay Thompson and the team could not hash out a new contract so he could finish his career with the only organization he ever played for.
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Then everything came to a head this week when the future Hall-of-Famer decided to take his talents to the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks for the next three seasons. However, although he ended up choosing Dallas as his new home, he had several other notable suitors, including the Los Angeles Lakers.
Reports over the last few days claimed that LA offered a deal that would see him earn $20 million per season — something he was looking for from Golden State — and he was even wooed by league legend Lebron James who allegedly was willing to take less money in a new deal to help bring Thompson to La La Land. Yet, the five-time All-Star instead chose to take less money with the Mavericks.
While surprising, it was a logical decision since Dallas seems far closer to winning a championship, and that may hold importance for the 34-year-old. On Wednesday, another interesting layer was added to the narrative of why Thompson chose the Mavs over the franchise his father once played for.
- Klay Thompson contract with Dallas Mavericks: Three-year, $50 million
“James had several deep conversations with Thompson about the idea of playing together, sources said. But something about playing for the Lakers apparently felt too much like playing for the Warriors,” ESPN NBA insiders Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews reported.” As one source close to him put it, “Would this be trading one fishbowl for another?”
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It says a lot about how not only the Lakers are viewed around the league currently, but also the Warriors. They are two of the most famous NBA franchises in the world, but for players hoping to win a championship, the Mavericks and playing with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving holds more value than teaming up with league legends like Lebron James and Stephen Curry.
