Before inking a deal with the Dallas Mavericks, Klay Thompson walked away from an opportunity to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to a report from ESPN, contract negotiations with the 34-year-old shooting guard to remain with the Golden State Warriors weren’t successful, thus ending his 13-year tenure with the team whom he had spent his entire career with.
Despite his efforts to reconnect with the team, which included a round of golf with owner Joe Lacob, 68, at the elusive Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles in mid-May, Thompson still reportedly found the negotiations of his contract to be “miserable” and felt undervalued compared to his teammates Stephen Curry, 36, and Draymond Green, 34.
After rebounding from an ACL injury from the 2019 NBA Finals and suffering from an Achilles injury in 2020, Thompson helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship but was not offered a contract extension the summer following the win.
However, Thompson reportedly felt his role was diminished with the Warriors prioritizing younger players in his absence including 25-year-old guard Jordan Poole, and swingman Andrew Wiggins, 29. Both men were extended for four years each.
Thompson allegedly had a few options on the table while looking for his fresh start—the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the L.A. Lakers.
ESPN reports that the Lakers were willing to offer Thompson four years and $80 million, he ultimately went with the Dallas Mavericks for a three-year, $50 million deal instead, believing that playing with the former would apparently feel too much like playing with the Warriors.
