New Dallas Mavericks teammates Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving have already started building reps and chemistry together through a joint workout with New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, as seen on a recent Instagram post. While it's obvious why Thompson and Irving should work out together, it seems that Brunson never forgot his history with the Mavs, who had filled the role of Luka Doncic's partner before trading for Irving.
You can see the three players working out together on this Instagram post uploaded by the More than a Run account.
Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Jalen Brunson work out
The Mavericks trading for Kyrie Irving before the 2023 deadline has finally paid dividends for the team, who had been looking for a potent scorer and ball-handler to pair with Swiss Army knife Luka Doncic. In just over a season, Irving and Doncic led the Mavericks all the way to the NBA Finals for the first time since Dirk Nowitzki's legendary 2011 championship run, overcoming superstar after superstar before facing the final boss in the Heatles.
Meanwhile, Klay Thompson looks to rejuvenate his stalled career after disappointing seasons with the Golden State Warriors. After posting solid seasons coming off injury, the Splash Brother went cold in the 2023 playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, posting 16.2 points on 16.5 attempts, with splits of 34.3% from the field and 38.1% from three.
The final nail, though, was Thompson laying an egg in their play-in game versus the Sacramento Kings, shooting 0 for 10 as the Warriors went out with a whimper. In the offseason, the Warriors didn't offer Klay a new contract, paving the way for him to go to the Mavericks.
Doncic and Irving should be happy that they now have a three-point shooter on the wing who has championship experience and who can light it up in high-stakes games. While Thompson may not be able to defend the opposing team's best player anymore, he can relieve defensive pressure from the two stars.
In the Eastern conference
On the other conference, Jalen Brunson should be excited to meet the new-look Knicks, who acquired Mikal Bridges in a blockbuster trade with the rebuilding Nets. After realizing they were simply treading water with the former Phoenix Suns standout, the Nets traded him to their cross-town rival.
With the addition of Bridges, the “Nova Knicks” may finally have enough two-way players to throw at the Boston Celtics, who can field a lineup of tall players who can each move the ball, put it on the floor, and shoot from range while also defending at a high level.
However, before the Knicks can think about dealing with the defending champions, they still have to avenge their playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. Then, they'll have to think about the Philadelphia 76ers with Paul George.
After this Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Jalen Brunson work out, can the Knicks and the Mavericks go farther than last season?