OAKLAND – Klay Thompson’s decision last month to relocate from the Bay Area to Texas was influenced by several factors, none more than the happiness of one of his new teammates in Dallas.
Kyrie Irving was, according to Dallas coach Jason Kidd, the lead recruiter behind Thompson leaving the Warriors for the Mavericks.
“When you talk about the recruitment, it was a lot of people that were involved in that. But one of the biggest players in that was Kai,” Kidd said on the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area's "Dubs Talk," which debuted Tuesday. “Kai being able to, player to player, (detail) his experience of what Dallas has been like for him in two years and being able to tell Klay the honest truth of what he thinks can happen with Klay coming to Dallas.”
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This would be the second time Irving has fractured the Warriors. The first time? That came in the 2016 NBA Finals. As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, his game- and series-clinching 3-pointer in Game 7 at Oracle Arena prompted Golden State to pursue Kevin Durant and shed much of its roster in the process.
What’s interesting here is that Irving, who earned the reputation of being one of the NBA’s most mercurial figures, is unveiling an unprecedented level of stability and fulfillment.
Irving got restless after six seasons – and one NBA championship – with the Cleveland Cavaliers and wanted out. He was traded to Boston, expressed a commitment to the Celtics, and after 127 games, signed with Brooklyn upon becoming a free agent. Disenchanted with the Nets after playing 143 games over three-plus seasons, Irving was traded to Dallas in February 2023.
Since joining the Mavericks, Kyrie has been productive and effective and, more to the point, content. His decision to join the Nets with Kevin Durant was an engineered collaboration between the two. Irving’s decision to persuade Thompson is one man selling his franchise to someone he respects.
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“I would love to say it was all me,” said Kidd, a key member of Dallas’ recruiting squad. “But it wasn't. It was a team effort. But I think player-to-player – in this league, they all talk about their situations, and they all recruit one another – this was about Kai and Klay being able to talk.
“And I also believe Klay did his homework, just understanding the situation. It would have been an easy for him to stay (with the Warriors or elsewhere in California). So, he had to put in some effort of doing some homework to see what Dallas was all about.”
When Thompson, a five-time NBA All-Star during his 12 years with Golden State, became an unrestricted free agent in July, the Mavericks were among several teams lining up for his services. He found it appealing that Texas has no state income tax and he valued the Mavericks’ status as the Western Conference champions.
“Dallas is attractive because of the young players they have, the style they play, the world-class treatment they get from the organization,” Thompson told reporters at his introductory news conference in July. “Just a beautiful city that loves their hoops.”
While Thompson’s relationship with the Warriors had cooled considerably, the Mavericks made him feel special. Kidd had a presentation ready. Highly respected general manager Nico Harrison, along with vice president of basketball operations – and former All-Star shooting guard – Michael Finley was quick to meet with Thompson and his agent, Greg Lawrence.
But Irving, a Team USA teammate of Thompson on the 2016 Olympics gold medal squad, was the clincher. Pitted against former Cavaliers teammate LeBron James, who was trying to bring Thompson to the Lakers, Irving prevailed despite the Mavericks offering a lesser financial package.
Thompson, as part of a sign-and-trade transaction, joins Dallas on a three-year contract worth $50 million.
Looking at catch-and-shoot expert Thompson joining playmakers Luka Doncic and Irving, Kidd visualizes improvement from a team that went 24-9 over its final 33 regular-season games and 12-5 in the postseason before losing in five games to the Boston Celtics in The Finals.
“We truly believe that he gives us something that we haven't had, a guy who's not afraid to take the shot,” Kidd said of Thompson. “He's been in championship situations. He understands what it means. We believe that we're building a championship team. And his being a veteran, his experience being in big games and then being able to play both ends, we truly believe that he's going to make a lot of open shots for us and have fun.
“But, also, we're going to lean on him because has won a championship. We're going to need his advice and his leadership throughout this journey.”
Thompson, 34, becomes the oldest man on the Dallas roster. His 158 postseason games are 12 more than Doncic and Irving’s combined 146. If this trio takes the Mavericks to new heights, credit Kidd for creating the environment that gave Irving the serenity to become a franchise ambassador.