We now know why Klay Thompson didn't join Luka Doncic's Lakers

Klay Thompson has signed with the Miami Heat, ending a disappointing two-year run with the Dallas Mavericks that failed to produce another title opportunity. However, his underwhelming stint in Dallas forces fans to look back at his decision to skip the Los Angeles Lakers' open invitation in 2024.

His father, Mychal Thompson, provided a clear answer on the Locked On Heat podcast while explaining why Klay turned down the Lakers a second time. Mychal made an aggressive pitch for a homecoming once it became clear Klay was leaving Dallas via a buyout, urging him to join a new-look Lakers roster now built entirely around superstar Luka Doncic.

But Klay passed. His father didn't hide his frustration, stating, "Playing with Giannis and Bam and playing for Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra was just too much of an attraction for him to turn down."

This marks the second time Klay has ignored his father's advice. In the summer of 2024, LeBron James personally recruited the five-time All-Star and was reportedly willing to take a pay cut to fit him under the Lakers' mid-level exception. 

Mychal also lobbied hard for a homecoming alongside LeBron, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves. Klay passed then too, proving that when it comes to his basketball career, he simply does not listen to his father's advice.

"What kind of influence do I have on his opinion? Isn't it obvious? None," Mychal said. "I wanted him to be a Laker. I thought the Lakers would be perfect for him to team up with LeBron and Anthony Davis to provide that outside shooting along with Austin Reaves that we needed. I was talking about how perfect this situation was, and he kind of agreed with me to a certain extent. But the lure of playing with Luka and Kyrie in Dallas won out over my advice to come here."

Dallas was fresh off an NBA Finals run with Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, and the pairing looked like a faster path to a fifth ring than a Lakers team that had bowed out in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, losing 4-1 to the Denver Nuggets. Thompson ultimately signed a three-year, $50 million deal with the Mavericks.

Nobody saw what came next. The Mavericks stunned the league by trading Dončić to the Lakers in February 2025, and Irving eventually tore his ACL, which sidelined him for a year and a half. Thompson never got his title shot in Dallas, missed the playoffs for two straight seasons, and averaged just 11.7 points on 38.3% from three-point range in a smaller bench role before agreeing to a buyout this offseason.

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