The meeting was to discuss Klay Thompson and his free agent future.
But when the foursome arrived for a 90-minute dinner at the Bottle Inn Italian restaurant in Hermosa Beach, California, on Sunday night, they were just a block away from an upscale neighborhood. Strand In this stadium overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Golden State Warriors legend decided to turn his attention to former great Michael Finley, who had come to recruit him along with Dallas Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison.
Thompson grew up near Orange County and was a sharpshooter at Santa Margarita High School, where he always remembered the late Kobe Bryant. One of his basketball inspirations His father, Michael, won two championships with the Lakers during his Showtime days and later became the team’s longtime announcer. But with the Lakers on the line and LeBron James himself promising that he’d take a big pay cut if Thompson were to don the purple and gold, Thompson wanted to know all about life with the Dallas Mavericks. And so began a barrage of questions for Finley, the Mavericks’ vice president of basketball operations and a former All-Star who played his best seasons with Dallas from 1996-2005.
Thompson, joined by his agent Greg Lawrence of Wasserman Media Group, asked questions about Finley’s career and the old-school days when the 51-year-old played. He also asked about the Dallas situation, life in Texas, Mavericks fans and the arena environment that comes with them. Thompson is a true basketball player no matter the circumstances, and his respect for Finley’s journey and insight was genuine and felt very much like Klay to those attending the dinner. At the request of the guest of honor, Finley agreed to share his knowledge of the organization as Thompson nears the final decision.
Thompson had watched the Mavericks play in the NBA Finals and shared with others how he felt he could fit in, create space for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the offensive end, and bring his championship credentials to a burgeoning franchise. His time with the Warriors was nearing the end of its run at that point, and league sources said Thompson’s side had presented the Warriors with a contract proposal about two weeks earlier that was not only rejected but apparently did not receive a counteroffer. With a week left until the start of free agency, Thompson was convinced the Warriors had no intention of bringing him back, league sources said.
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A two-year, $48 million deal was on the cards when talk of an extension at that amount took place last summer, but that deal evaporated, as did offers for less. Last season was a tumultuous one for Thompson in the Bay Area, with frustration over his contract extension situation and a significantly reduced role making it much harder to enjoy the game, but with each conversation within the team, this chance for a fresh start has seemed like a better fit.
Thompson was a rival in those classic Finals games between the Warriors and Cavaliers and regularly called and texted Irving, a veritable expert on the subject of rebuilding one’s career as the spotlight faded in Dallas. He was on the phone with Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, a Hall of Famer who won a title with the Mavericks in 2011. Kidd offered to cut short a family trip to attend recruiting meetings (Thompson told him it wasn’t necessary). It’s unclear if Thompson hit it off with Doncic, who was competing with the Slovenian national team in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece, but the franchise’s mainstay was known to be excited about the possibility of adding him to the core of the team.
The Mavericks had no answer that night, as Thompson also decided to sleep soundly while making his decision. But the next morning, as the Lakers waited for an opportunity to convince Thompson to come to their team, Thompson told them that a second face-to-face meeting was not necessary. Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million contract in a sign-and-trade deal and was headed to Dallas. The Warriors ended up receiving two second-round picks.
Ironically, given his dissatisfaction with the Warriors, money was a secondary factor in Thompson’s choice of the Mavericks. Fully aware that the $43 million he made with Golden State last season wouldn’t buy him happiness, he chose Dallas primarily because he thought it offered his best chance at a fifth championship.
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A deal with the Lakers was much better, according to league sources, and there were talks of signing Thompson to a four-year, $80 million deal if the Warriors could work with them on a sign-and-trade and bring D’Angelo Russell back to the Warriors (or a third team). Lawrence spoke by phone with James and new Lakers head coach JJ Redick, according to league sources, and it was all positive. Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka had been in contact with Lawrence, but the Lakers’ situation simply didn’t match up to what the Mavericks could offer.
Of course, the money aspect had everything to do with his perceived disrespect for the Warriors, who gave Draymond Green a four-year, $100 million extension last summer and offered Thompson a deal worth about half that amount. Thompson resented the way Warriors owner Joe Lacob distanced himself from him. All SeasonsHe made no attempt to allay concerns about whether he was still part of their plans.
The latest example of that difficult relationship came in mid-May, when Thompson accepted an invitation from Lacob to play golf with him and some friends at the prestigious Riviera Country Club in Palisades, Calif., league sources said. They had a good time, but not a word was said about whether they would stay in the basketball business together, league sources said. As Thompson learned that day, Lacob prefers not to talk about work while on the course.
In truth, the rift between Thompson and the Warriors had everything to do with their differing views on the devastating injury that squandered two-and-a-half years of his prime and forever changed him as a player. From the Warriors’ side, there was a sense that their choice to give him a five-year, $189 million max contract just a month after he tore his ACL in the 2019 Finals was evidence enough of their appreciation.
Thompson ruptured his Achilles tendon. During off-season training As the 2020-21 season approaches, the first half of the contract has been nothing short of terrible from the team’s perspective. For Thompson, who can rightfully point to the Warriors’ 2022 title and his key role in it as his payoff, there will always be the elusive hope that he can make the team feel needed one last time.
And that’s exactly what the Mavericks did. They met Thompson where he was, figuratively and literally, honored his four rings and made it clear he was their top offseason priority. The meeting in a back room at a restaurant was relaxed, conversational and easygoing, fitting perfectly with Thompson’s off-court vibe. And finally, with Harrison and Finley explaining why the Mavericks offered such a welcome respite from the turmoil of his time with the Warriors, Thompson decided to pursue basketball peace.
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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
