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Very few players spend their entire NBA careers with one franchise, especially nowadays. While Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, and some others chose to represent just one team while in the NBA, the same cannot be said now for Klay Thompson, who left the Golden State Warriors for the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. And Devin Booker, who has only played for the Phoenix Suns and has battled against Thompson many times over the years, said he will need some time to adjust to the new look for Klay.
During a media session at Team USA basketball practice, Booker, who is coincidentally teammates with Thompson's longtime Warriors teammate Stephen Curry on Team USA, answered a question about what he thought about Thompson's move to the Mavericks and how it could affect the power dynamics in the incredibly tough Western Conference.
“I think it’s gonna take some adjusting,” Booker said. “He’s (Thompson) one of those guys that you can’t imagine outside of the jersey he was drafted in. But it's a new opportunity for him. I'm sure he's gonna take full advantage of it, so I'm looking forward to matching up against him in a different jersey. He's somebody that I've spoken highly about for a very long time.”
“It’s gonna take some adjusting. He’s [Klay] one of those players where you can’t imagine him outside of the jersey he was drafted in.”
Devin Booker says it will be an adjustment seeing Klay in a different jersey next season 🗣️
(via @NBCSWarriors)
pic.twitter.com/zAt7EprPT0— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 7, 2024
Klay Thompson shaking up Western Conference
In addition to Klay Thompson signing with the Dallas Mavericks, there has been quite a few shake-ups in the Western Conference this offseason. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a key piece to the Denver Nuggets' 2023 NBA Championship run, signed with the Orlando Magic. Paul George signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, leading the Clippers to focus on bolstering their roster with Kevin Porter Jr., Nicolas Batum, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kris Dunn. The Oklahoma City Thunder addressed one of their biggest weaknesses by signing away New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein. The Sacramento Kings are the latest team to enter the offseason frenzy, as they agreed to a sign-and-trade to acquire DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls.
There is still much to be decided in terms of trades and lower-level contracts as the second week of free agency begins. The fate of Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen still seems very much up in the air; although Markkanen has been linked to the Golden State Warriors, the Jazz appear to be playing hardball as they await the best potential haul for the talented Finnish player.
Additionally, there's always the possibility the Los Angeles Lakers or Phoenix Suns will make moves to improve rosters that combined for one playoff victory in April. The Lakers have much more flexibility than the Suns and will likely trade some combination of D'Angelo Russell, a few other current players, and future draft picks to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with more talent as JJ Redick gears up for his first season as an NBA coach.
The Suns, on the other hand, are rather limited in what they can do this offseason. With Bradley Beal's massive contract also including a no-trade clause, he must be approve of any trade involving himself, which would seem to limit the potential destinations even further. And while Kevin Durant was the subject of some rumors around the NBA Draft, it appears KD may be staying put in Phoenix for the time being.
Whether the Western Conference decides to quiet down from here on out or not, it's clear that the West will truly be the best of the best this coming season.
