Klay Thompson’s wild ride in Dallas is officially over, with his buyout agreed to earlier this week and an expected signing with the Miami Heat after he clears waivers. This whole situation throws us right back to the summer of 2024, spotlighting a “sliding doors” moment that honestly, has got to sting a little for Klay.
The Lakers Went All Out For Klay, So What Happened?
Rewind to 2024. The Lakers were *aggressively* pursuing Thompson, full-court press style! LeBron James himself was reportedly open to a pay cut, all to help bring in an impact player like Klay. It felt like a perfect fit, too. Klay’s got deep roots in Los Angeles, he spent a chunk of his childhood there, and he still owns a home in the city. His representatives were deep in discussions with the Lakers. But then, to the shock and “chagrin” of many, including his own father, Klay chose the Dallas Mavericks over the purple and gold. What happened? Christian Clark from The Athletic, writing about Klay’s time in Dallas, finally pulled back the curtain on the real reason behind that head-scratching call.
Anthony Davis’ Availability: The Reason That Backfired Big Time
Get this: The big hang-up for Klay was none other than Anthony Davis. A source with knowledge of Thompson’s thinking revealed serious concerns about AD’s injury history and overall availability. You can already see the irony building, right? Here’s the kicker: Klay and Anthony Davis ended up playing a grand total of just 27 games together across a season and a half, specifically *because* of injuries to AD himself. And before AD was traded from the Lakers, he was actually in one of the healthiest stretches of his time in LA, playing 42 of 47 games after clocking in a solid 76 games the season prior. Lingering doubt had always surrounded AD’s availability, but he was showing up when Klay opted out. The guy Klay worried about got traded, and Klay still barely played with him due to AD’s injuries anyway. You truly cannot make this stuff up!
The Dallas Experiment Crashed, But LA Got The Real Prize
The irony just keeps on rolling. Klay’s time with Luka Doncic in Dallas barely registered as a blip, with them playing only “about two dozen games” together before Luka was traded. So, Klay chose Dallas over LA due to AD concerns, only to play a handful of games with AD anyway, and then his new superstar teammate, Luka, got shipped out too. This whole thing is a “butterfly effect” for the ages, a true sliding doors moment. The author of the original piece doesn’t think the Lakers would’ve changed anything, and honestly, why would they? They ultimately landed Luka Doncic in this timeline! That’s a pretty sweet deal for the purple and gold, wouldn’t you say? Lakers fans have got to be thrilled with how things actually played out.
Now, with the Dallas chapter closed, Klay Thompson is heading to Miami. What’s next for him there? Can he bounce back and show everyone he’s still got that championship fire? It’s going to be absolutely fascinating to watch how this next chapter unfolds for a player who’s been through some truly wild swings lately. Let’s see if this move finally sticks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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