The Dallas Mavericks made one of the biggest moves in franchise history a couple of weeks ago when they completed a six-team sign-and-trade to acquire Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors. Dallas had been a rumored suitor for Thompson for multiple months, and they got their guy locked up for three years a couple of days into free agency. Acquiring Thompson became the Mavs’ biggest offseason priority, and him signing with Dallas shows that they are finally an attractive destination for free agents. Dallas has struggled to land big fish in free agency over the last couple of years, and Kyrie Irving re-signing with the Mavs last summer followed up by the Thompson signing is helping change that narrative. Mavericks’ plan to be ‘creative
‘ with Klay Thompson will make them unbeatable Thompson can’t wait to get to work, and Mavs fans can’t wait to see how he fits on the team. Dallas’ shooting obviously skyrocketed with this move, but their offense could look a lot more different just with the addition of Thompson. According to the ESPN broadcast of the Mavs’ Summer League game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, Jared Dudley said that the Mavs are going to get Thompson involved in Dallas’ offense in “creative ways.” Dudley said that they don’t just want Thompson to sit in the corner, and the Mavs could become more dangerous than originally expected if they find the right way to utilize Thompson’s game. Thompson thrived in Golden State due to his ability to move without the ball and flare and curl off of screens and knock down open shots. The Warriors were notorious for setting illegal screens that didn’t get called over the years to help get Thompson open, and if the Mavs start incorporating actions off the ball to get him open, the rest of the league should watch out. Thompson is nearly unstoppable off the catch, and his shooting expertise combined with Luka Doncic’s shot creation is going to be deadly. Doncic already creates so many open looks for all of his teammates, and the Mavs slightly shifting their offense to fit Thompson and how he plays could work wonders for this team. Dudley of course didn’t dive into specifics of how they plan to use Thompson, but it’s clear they want to get innovative and “creative” with their approach. Dallas’ offense was already elite before the Thompson signing, and this move could turn the Mavs into a powerhouse in the Western Conference for years to come. It has been reported that Thompson will start at small forward or the Mavs and his shooting next to Doncic and Kyrie Irving is going to put fans on the edge of their seats for every game.
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