After a season of speculation surrounding his future in the Bay Area, Klay Thompson opted to leave the Golden State Warriors and join the Dallas Mavericks. The veteran sharpshooter will be teaming up with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic on the reigning Western Conference champions.
During a recent appearance on NBC Sports Bay Area's "Dub Talk" podcast, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd revealed that Irving played a significant part in recruiting the four-time NBA champion to Dallas. He noted how Irving's honesty and experience in Dallas likely helped swing Thompson's decision in the Mavericks' favor.
Thompson must adjust to his new role if he wants his move to succeed. He will be Dallas' third scoring option, tasked with spacing the floor and using his perimeter scoring ability to create additional gaps for Irving and Doncic to attack. He will likely have a smaller role on the defensive end, too, which should help keep him fresh and avoid too many challenging assignments.
Following Thompson's departure, the Warriors have added Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson as they looked to improve their depth. Hield will likely be a direct replacement for Thompson on the offensive side of the floor. However, it's still unclear how much the veteran's departure will hurt the Warriors chances of success.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Kyrie Irving played a key role in enticing Klay Thompson to leave the Warriors.
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