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Klay Thompson surprised a lot of people when he chose to sign with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 offseason but the veteran had a very specific reason for doing so.
Ahead of his 14th season in the NBA, Thompson admitted that he left the Golden State Warriors in favor of Dallas for the chance to play with Luka Doncic. Thompson spoke on his chemistry with Doncic during training camp and the preseason, saying the Slovenian star is one of the best in the league at elevating the play of those around him.
“I think we'll be great,” Thompson said after the team's preseason game on Oct. 17. “A huge reason why I'm here is because of Luka and the chance to play with him. We'll have a lot of time to build great chemistry but he's such a great player that I don't think he needs much time to get acclimated to new teammates.”
Thompson and Doncic have never played together on any level but have gone against each other several times over the last six years. With both the Mavericks and Warriors often succeeding in the Western Conference, the teams have clashed multiple times to create a semi-friendly rivalry.
In his first 13 years in the league, Thompson was known for being one-half of the “Splash Brothers” in Golden State with point guard Stephen Curry. His chemistry with Curry and head coach Steve Kerr made it surprising to most that he willingly left the organization despite many believing that he was past his athletic prime.
Mavericks set for regular season debut against Spurs
With their final preseason game wrapped up on Oct. 17, the Mavericks — like most teams — are now preparing for their regular season opener. Dallas will begin the 2024-2025 season at home on Oct. 24 hosting the San Antonio Spurs in the American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks are coming off a runner-up season in 2023-2024 after their first NBA Finals appearance since winning the title in 2011. The team kept most of its core intact but added former five-time All-Star Thompson in their most notable offseason move. Thompson's addition to the team was followed by starting forward Derrick Jones Jr. leaving in free agency for the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Spurs are coming off a less impressive 22-60 season in 2023-2024 that resulted in a 14th-place finish in the Western Conference. However, the year marked the successful debut of star rookie Victor Wembanyama, who led the team with 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game in 71 appearances.
