Klay Thompson’s Father Weighs In as His Costly Luka Doncic Gamble Fails Massively Amid an Alarming Slump 

NBA star Klay Thompson left the Golden State Warriors for a chance to share the floor with Luka Doncic in 2024. Thompson's decision was due to the Dallas Mavericks' success in the 2023-24 season, where they reached the Finals. However, his partnership with Doncic did not last a full season, after the organization traded the Slovenian star to the LA Lakers last season.

On Tuesday, the Mavericks fired Nico Harrison as general manager. Rumors about trades and Dallas's future began to surface. Thompson's gamble to play with Doncic also emerged recently. According to a report, the Lakers were willing to pay the four-time champion a four-year, $80 million deal. However, the veteran star took a pay cut to be with the five-time All-Star.

“The Lakers and Thompson discussed a four-year, $80 million deal in free agency that — if the Warriors cooperated in a sign-and-trade — would have dwarfed the three-year, $50 million deal the Mavericks would eventually give him,” Joe Vardon, Christian Clark and Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote.

This was brought up to the NBA star's father, Mychal Thompson, on X by a fan. The former No. 1 pick didn't say much but only used emojis to express his thoughts.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

"🤔🏀" Thompson replied.

Thompson's son would've been a member of his former NBA team. But he opted to join Dallas because of how great Doncic is as a player. Unfortunately for Klay Thompson, he's stuck with the Mavericks, while the five-time All-NBA star is with the Lakers.

Now, the Mavericks have struggled to start the 2025-26 season, winning only three out of their first 11 games. On top of that, the team's best players have not been healthy. Kyrie Irving is currently recovering from a torn ACL, while Anthony Davis is set to miss his seventh straight game on Wednesday due to a calf strain.

---

The Mavericks could trade Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson's future was emphasized after the Mavericks released Harrison. There were questions as to what would happen next for the NBA champion. According to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, the organization could explore the trade market to see what they could get in return for Thompson.

"It is no secret that Harrison and the Mavericks' front office will explore what return exists for Klay Thompson before the trade deadline, and several teams are monitoring Daniel Gafford's status, sources said," Siegel wrote.

Klay Thompson is in the second year of his three-year, $50 million contract. Although his current deal isn't that difficult to move, his production this season could affect his marketability. Thompson is having the worst season of his career, averaging 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds. The veteran player is shooting 31.4% from the field and 26.7% of his 3-pointers.

Edited by Reign Amurao