He’s affectionally known as half of the Golden State Warriors’ iconic backcourt dubbed the Splash Brothers.
However, after Klay Thompson played 13
years with the Warriors, he and the Dallas Mavericks made a big splash of their own as the five-time All-Star was dealt to Dallas on Saturday morning via a sign-and-trade that also saw the Mavs acquire a 2025 second-round draft choice in a record six-team trade.
The deal had the Mavs part ways with fourth-year swingman Josh Green and a second-round pick in what became the first six-team trade in NBA history.
Besides the Mavs and Warriors, the other teams involved in the historic trade were Charlotte, Denver, Minnesota and Philadelphia. The Hornets will receive guard Reggie Jackson, Green, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2030 second-round pick, the Nuggets will obtain some cash, and the Timberwolves will obtain a 2025 second-round pick, a 2031 second-round pick swaps and cash.
Elsewhere, the Warriors will receive forward Kyle Anderson and guard Buddy Hield, and the Sixers will acquire a 2031 second-round pick.
Thompson was signed to a three-year, $50 million contract. He helped the Warriors win four NBA championships – the last in 2022 after Golden State defeated the Mavs in five games in the Western Conference Finals. At 6-6 and 220 pounds, Thompson is the perfect fit for a Mavs squad that lost in the NBA Finals last month to the Boston Celtics in five games.
A future Hall of Fame player, Thompson joins a pair of Mavs’ future Hall of Fame guards in Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving while also increasing the profile of a Mavs’ squad that cements itself as a major threat to win next season’s NBA title. While the Mavs made just 18 percent of their open three-pointers in the Finals against the Celtics, Thompson is extremely capable of filling that void since he was second in the league in catch-and-shoot three-pointers last season and also converted 1,575 catch-and-shoot three-pointers over the past 10 seasons.
In forming a Big 3 alongside Dončić and Irving, Thompson saw the opportunity to win multiple NBA titles with the Mavs. That likely was a primary reason he chose to sign with Dallas rather than with other high-profile suitors like the Los Angeles Lakers. Plus, unlike California, Texas has no state taxes, which also increases Thompson’s financial coffers and played a role in his decision to sign with the Mavs.
Acquiring Thompson is a testament to the aggressiveness of Mavs general manager Nico Harrison, who, in three short years on the job has engineered multiple significant trades that helped get the Mavs to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and to last season’s NBA Finals. Thompson was Harrison’s top free agent choice this summer, and he was able to secure his services while keeping the Mavs mentioned among the NBA’s elite teams.
In fact, during the last three seasons – including the playoffs – Thompson made the third-most three-pointers (810) in the NBA, trailing only Boston’s Jayson 
Tatum (868) and Stephen Curry (1,063). James Harden, Curry and Thompson are the only players in league history to convert more than 300 three-pointers in a single season.
Additionally, Thompson ranks sixth all-time in three-pointers made behind Curry, Ray Allen, Harden, Damian Lillard and Reggie Miller. Thompson went on his Instagram to send a message to Warriors’ fans.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the best times of my life,” Thompson wrote. “It was such an honor to put that Dubs jersey on from day 1.
“I really just wanted to be the best I could be and help bring as many championships as possible to the region. The best part was not the rings though. It was the friendships I made that will last a lifetime. Don’t be sad it’s over. Be happy it happened.”
Thompson and his ex-Splash Brothers teammate – Curry – are regarded as one of the most dominant backcourt duos ever assembled in the NBA. After it was apparent Thompson was going to sign with the Mavs, Curry went on his Instagram account to pay tribute to his former teammate.
“Gonna miss you @klaythompson,” Curry wrote. “Even though we won’t finish the journey together, what we did will never be done again. Couldn’t have imagined a better run with you and (Draymond Green). Changed the whole Bay Area.
“Changed the way the game is played. Killa Klay at the center of it all. Thank you for everything bro. Go enjoy playing basketball and doing what you do. Splash Bros 4 life my guy.”
Draymond Green, Thompson and Curry combined to win 518 regular season games during their time together. That’s the sixth-most wins by any trio in NBA history.
That trio is also third among all-time trios in playoff victories with 98. The San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (126) top that list, followed by the Lakers’ threesome of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper (110).
“We’re thrilled to have Klay join us in Dallas,” Harrison said. “As one of the league’s greatest shooters who competes on both ends, we feel Klay is a perfect fit for our team. He adds a strong, experienced veteran voice that will help us continue to build on the success we’ve seen in recent years.
“Klay’s championship experience, clutch performances and calm demeanor under pressure exemplify what it takes to win in the NBA at the highest level. He will help us continue to grow towards our goal of winning another championship.”
The acquisition of Thompson is a big-time addition for the Mavs, particularly since they won a battle with the Lakers to land one of the biggest fish in this summer’s free agency pool. Not only was Thompson born in Los Angeles, but he grew up idolizing former Laker superstar guard Kobe Bryant.
Also, Thompson’s dad, Mychal, played for the Lakers from 1987-91, won back-to-back NBA titles with the Lakers in 1987 and ’88, and is currently a commentator on the radio broadcast of Laker games. Current Laker superstar, LeBron James, reportedly even telephoned Thompson right after the free agency period started and tried to convince him to sign with the Lakers.
But despite all of those extremely close connections to the Lakers – and the reported persuasion from James — Thompson chose to ride with the Mavs because he steadfastly believes this is the franchise that gives him the best chance of adding more championship rings to his fingers.
Acknowledging Thompson’s value to their franchise, the Warriors released a statement about Thompson, saying: “We can’t overstate Klay Thompson’s incredible and legendary contributions with the Warriors during his 13 years with the team. The amount of joy and happiness that Klay provided Warriors fans, Bay Area natives and Dub Nation supporters all around the world has been immense and cannot be minimized.”
Last season, Thompson averaged 17.9 points in 29.7 minutes, and shot 43.2 percent from the field, a healthy 38.7 percent from beyond the three-point arc and 92.7 percent from the free throw line in 77 games. But his role changed, even to the point where the Warriors oddly decided not to start him in 14 of those 77 games that he played.
During a career that’s as historic as his, Thompson had numerous highlights. Among those, when the Warriors trailed Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, 3-2, in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, Thompson buried an NBA playoff record 11 three-pointers and scored 41 points in Game 6 while leading Golden State to a 
critical 108-101 victory and forced a Game 7, which the Warriors won.
Thompson came to the rescue of the Warriors so many times in Game 6 of a playoff series that he earned the nickname “Game 6 Klay.” Perhaps the most memorable Game 6 of his historic career occurred in the 2019 NBA Finals when the Warriors trailed the Toronto Raptors, 3-2.
In that game Thompson scored 30 points on just 8-of-12 shots, but was helped off the court and down the tunnel toward the locker room after he was fouled by Danny Green with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter. However, Thompson surprisingly hobbled back on the court and shot his two free throws before leaving for good three seconds later.
It was ultimately discovered that Thompson had torn his anterior cruciate ligament on the play. The Warriors went on the lose that game to the Raptors — 114-110 – and the series.
That unfortunate injury forced Thompson to miss the 2019-20 season. Then the following offseason, Thompson tore his right Achilles tendon while working out in Southern California and was forced to sit out the 2020-21 season and over half of the following season.
In 32 games in 2021-22, Thompson averaged 20.4 points in 29.4 minutes, and the Warriors went on to claim their fourth championship in an eight-year span.
Among Thompson’s other career highlights: tossing in an NBA-record 14 three-pointers – in 24 attempts – while scoring 52 points in just 27 minutes during a 149-124 win in Chicago on Oct. 29, 2018.
In addition, during a 142-106 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 5, 2016, Thompson scored a career-high 60 points in less than three quarters — on just 11 dribbles – while taking catch-and-shoot to a whole new level. A total of 40 of those points came in the first half when he only played 18 minutes.
Thompson also holds the NBA single-quarter scoring record when he poured in an incredible 37 points in the third quarter of a 126-101 triumph over the Sacramento Kings in 2015. At the time, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said:
“I was one of the luckiest NBA players ever to play with Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, David Robinson and some of the greatest players ever. As many spectacular things as Michael did, which he did nightly, I never saw him do that.”
With Thompson now signed, the usage rate of Dončić should likely decline, along with his minutes on the court. Thompson’s addition is huge for the Mavs, who were desperately searching this offseason for a third scorer behind Dončić and Irving to diversify their offense.
The Mavs scored just 106.7 points per 100 possessions in the NBA Finals against Boston. That number should see a noteworthy increase with the arrival of Thompson.
“His penchant for delivering in pressurized situations on the biggest stage, including many Game 6 heroics, has helped define a career,” the Warriors said in their statement about Thompson. “Klay’s legacy will live on forever and we look forward to the day we can retire his No. 11 jersey at Chase Center, where he will join a host of Warriors immortals, including those who helped shape this recent dynasty — himself included.
“We thank Klay for his contributions and wish him the best as another chapter in his journey is written.”
Indeed, it’s another chapter that saw the Mavs make a big splash in this summer’s race to secure one of the NBA’s top free agents.
X: @DwainPrice
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