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Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks have a “strong mutual interest” ahead of free agency opening Sunday, sources tell NBA insider Marc Stein.
“With the Warriors and Thompson nowhere close to a contract agreement after a tumultuous season marked by fractious negotiations, multiple sources have indicated that the Mavericks are likely to emerge as the favorite to sign the shooting guard,” Stein wrote.
Thompson is set to enter free agency after playing all 11 of his NBA seasons with the Golden State Warriors.
Stein reported earlier Friday that the Mavericks were “intent on exploring the feasibility of signing Thompson.”
The Mavericks could be searching for a replacement for Tim Hardaway Jr. after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday the veteran guard had been traded to the Detroit Pistons.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported last week that the Warriors had not given an offer of any kind to Thompson, and that there had been “no productive discussion between the Warriors and Thompson or his representatives.”
One week later, it doesn’t sound there has been much progression, as Stein reported the two sides remain “nowhere close.”
Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game last season, his lowest production rate since 2013, as he at times fell out of the Warriors’ rotation.
The veteran is just one season removed from shooting 41.2 percent from deep, however. His three-point abilities could help him serve as a third scoring option alongside Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks cleared enough cap off their books in the Hardaway trade to qualify for the full non-taxpayer midlevel exemption, per Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
That could allow them to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr., which the team has previously stated is a priority— or they could use the space to make a bid to draw Thompson away from San Francisco instead. It is not clear if the Mavericks could find the space to both keep Jones and add Thompson.
If the Mavericks decide to pursue Thompson, they could face some other teams with cap space that are looking for a third scorer and help from behind the arc. Slater and Sam Amick previously reported for The Athletic that the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets would also be interested in signing Thompson if he remains available by Sunday.
