Mavericks in aggressive pursuit of Klay Thompson in NBA free agency – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

With the NBA’s free agent transfer window just hours away, the race to sign Klay Thompson is heating up, with three teams vying to lure him away from the Warriors.

The Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers are looking for ways to land Thompson, who will be released on the market as an unrestricted free agent at 3 p.m. PT on Sunday. Both teams benefit from Clay’s lifelong connection to the West Coast.

However, a third team is trying to drag Thompson into new territory: Dallas.

The Mavericks are making Thompson a priority, according to a league source. They envision one of the league’s best 3-point shooters working in space, thanks to the appeal of ball-dominant playmakers Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

When asked via text message if the Mavs were pursuing Klay as aggressively as their rivals, the source, who has deep knowledge of the Western Conference, responded with a one-word message: “More aggressively.”

Dallas can’t cite Pacific Rim as a place to draft players, but it is capable of creating a sign-and-trade package that offers more money than either the Lakers or Clippers could offer — which is limited to the mid-level exception of $12.9 million.
The Mavericks, who have only Doncic and Irving on contracts worth more than $15 million, will not back down from a sign-and-trade deal that would see Thompson sign a three-year, $50 million-plus contract.

Would a three-year deal with bonus money be more attractive to Klay than joining the Lakers? This is the team he supported as a teenager and the team his father Michael won two NBA championships with and works as a radio color analyst.

Would a three-year deal with the Mavericks, a legitimate contender for the 2024 NBA Finals, be more important than staying on the West Coast?

It’s possible that the Lakers and Clippers could create a salary slot without making a trade.

That’s where the Warriors come in. In a sign-and-trade scenario that guarantees Thompson a bigger payday, they’d have to decide if any of Dallas’ available players are attractive. Maxi Kleber ($11 million)? Probably not. The most likely way for Golden State is to involve at least one other team.

There’s no doubt that in this case, the Warriors would rather see Thompson with the Mavericks, if only because they won’t be leaving empty-handed.

Download and follow Dubs Talk Podcast