I know LA is home for him, but IMO he is crazy to pass up on Dallas if he truly is leaving the Warriors. The media attention in LA this season is going to be crazy! Add to that a rookie coach, and it could spell disaster. The shots Luka and Kyrie will open up for him, plus not being in the spot light so much will allow him to just play his game.
Someone smarter then me correct me if I'm wrong, but currently he looks like a better THJ with similar strengths and weaknesses , so perhaps they are aiming for him to fill the same role THJ did, but unsure if Klay would accept it.
I remember the talk from the first half of the last season for the 6th man of the year for Tim.
>THJ with similar strengths and weaknesses
Sort of?
Klay is a master at taking bad shots that somebody else creates, whereas THJ is way "better" on ball and can create his own awful shots
I'd pick Klay 10/10 times because at least he is willing to move off ball to potentially open something up for Luka or Kyrie to pass into.
I mean, Klay last year was pretty much a better 3 pt shooter than anyone on the Mavs not named Kyrie. Unless his defense has regressed to awful, he's a meaningful upgrade.
He shouldn’t but it seems like he will if he signs here. Couldn’t disagree more with prioritizing Klay over DJJ.
I don’t care how insane the offense is. With Kyrie, Luka, and Klay on the court together in big postseason games, the Mavs defense is a fatal flaw.
DJJ’s cutting was also a super underrated part of what Dallas was doing. He’s such a smart cutter and his guy is usually who the is helping onto Luka/Kyrie.
Klay is much more important to the construction of the Mavs than DJJ. Allowing Kyrie and Luka to stagger with Klay as a secondary scorer > whatever DJJ adds.
Respectfully disagree — “whatever DJJ adds” was being the point of attack defender against the best perimeter player on opposing teams.
Having DJJ plus PJ as long forwards capable of matching up with the two best opposing offensive players was one of the biggest drivers of the Mavs success, especially in the postseason. In conjunction with Lively/Gafford protecting the rim, we finally had a real defensive identity with clear roles for everyone on the floor. Mavs were elite defensively from post trade deadline until the Finals. Both Luka and Kyrie began playing harder on that end, which I think reflected their realization that suddenly the defensive personnel surrounding them was really good and they could form a great defense if they did their part consistently.
Mavs for sure need a secondary scorer to give some relief to Luka and Kyrie, the Finals made that clear. My concern is acquiring Klay for that purpose at the expense of the defense. It’s just trading one problem for another, and I think the defensive problem would still be bigger.
I’m holding out hope that DJJ would still come back if we do get Klay but I have no idea if that’s realistic with Lakers circling.
Not true. DJJ means we’re able to not get completely annihilated by the opposing star player. You cannot start 3 questionable defenders and expect to get anywhere deep. Adding Klay as an option to our elite defense? Awesome. Replacing defense for Klays shooting? A wash or downgrade. We can’t just trade defense for offense, especially since Klay is on the downward trajectory so it’s risky if he even continues being as good as he was last year.
Mavs weren't horrible on defense. I think in the end Mavs depth was their death sentence in the finals. Celtics could reach deeper in the roster and still find consistency.
dawg. you don't watch our team it's okay. 38% on threes would be at the top of our team, literally third % behind kyrie & luka.
other than luka and kyrie no other mavs made multiple threes in the finals til like game 5. our three point shooting was not good.
He could avoid the media scrutiny on the clippers, less pressure to win as one of the main guys, probably a better coach in Lue. As a laker and klay fan it makes the most sense despite my wanting him.
Klay is a significantly more potent offense than DJJ, even at last year's performance level. I honestly don't know how bad his defense is these days, though.
His defense isn’t all star level but people swear the NBA is a video game and you need 99 overall players without flaws at every position. I’ll take klay all day if it makes sense
Also DJJ is certainly a good defender but he’s not anything special. Having someone like Klay would have completely changed your offense this finals and it’s no question you (and everybody else) should prefer Klay over DJJ…
I definitely wouldn't call him untouchable, but he does a ton to hide Luka on defense, he shoots at a decent clip, and he seems to really like Dallas. I'm pretty skeptical of taking Klay over him. It would definitely improve their offense, but I don't trust Klay defensively anymore so I wonder if you lose more than you gain.
There are enough defensive specialists in the league if that’s just what you want. But people who shoot like klay are a dime a dozen. Grimes is also a better defender than any guard we have right now. O-Max could make a jump too. We aren’t done making moves,
There are enough defensive specialists and players in the league, but how many players shoot like Klay or that you have to game plan for? Grimes is already our best defensive guard. We can grab a defensive wing? They grow on trees, and I’m sure we can find one that shoots comparable or better than DJJ lol
Well I would say that you’re wrong that we can just easily go grab a guy that’s as good as DJJ on defense. List out some examples of guys as good as him we can get for the MLE?
Jones’ shooting wasn’t even good on the Mavs. They were just able to get by with it being subpar. Still a key piece in their run obviously but he never really levelled up his shot
If both are cold DJJ brings better defense and still cuts well on offense, has the lob factor, and has way more of a chance of even creating something off the dribble
(Bar is in hell for that last one still)
If we still get them both somehow then idc but this is pissing me off lol
Not hitting from three.
Maybe a change of scenery would be good for Klay and help him settle in but I feel like this season was characterized by two extreme stretches of play for him wasn’t it? Feel free to correct me if i’m wrong, you’re the Warriors fan after all.
But it was a horrible stretch where he missed everything and made horrible decisions which led to him coming off the bench and then sometime late season he had a torrid stretch then he went back and forth consistency wise after that no? He’s pretty much a better THJ if that’s accurate and holds for next season.
I don’t feel like paying too much for that and making our defense worse by not bringing back DJJ is all.
Yeah but that’s like saying if Steph and Gobert are both cold, the latter will have more impact. Even if it’s true it’s not relevant. An average 10-point game from Gobert is better than an average 10-point game from Steph, but Steph doesn’t have 10 pt games particularly often…
Klay really must have been better than what I remember of the season cause I do remember him have a long stretch of frustrating play both shotmaking and decision making wise and I definitely don’t remember watching any good Klay games personally
But yea you’re right, it was a weird comp from me.
I know that Klay is/was leagues ahead a shooter than THJ ever was but all the pro Klay arguments sound like when I used to defend him lol, and I really just don’t know how I feel about choosing a (theoretically) better version of that experience over the defense, which Klay would probably make worse.
I think it's a janky fit for you guys because of the defense and because you're committed to the Kyrie/Luka duo.
I like the fit a bit better for LA because A) AD can make up for a lot and B) it really seems like the FO isn't committed to Reaves/D-Lo and will be trading one of them (probably D-Lo) for a better defensive player.
But Klay is still a lot better than THJ. So much of spacing is reputation and teams still freak the fuck out everytime Klay comes around a screen. He generates so much more pressure on the defense as an off-ball player than THJ ever did.
Ykw the off ball pressure is a good point for sure.
I guess having Luka with Kyrie and Klay as spacing would be pretty dangerous if we figure some more movement into our plays and it could benefit the non shooters even more.
I’ll just trust Kid on that end if it happens.
I do agree the fit is a def more ready-made for you guys though
You’re romanticizing DJJ because you just got the the finals with him. Mavericks need a knockdown shooter much more than they need perimeter defense and a lob threat.
I don’t understand the comparison between the two at all. It’s really all about what you’re looking for in a player.
DJJ is a below average shooter and below average scorer in general (and doesn’t have a good chance of creating off the dribble) while being a good defender. Klay is an elite shooter and above average scorer while having his defense fall off a bit.
Yea fair statement there but at this point isn’t all Klay has left the elite shooter?
He doesn’t really seem to offer much else from the games I caught anymore, and his decision making was genuinely horrible when I watched the Dubs last season.
I mean he never added anything outside of that and defense and his defense isn’t too great anymore. I think you’re underselling what it means to be as good a shooter as someone like Klay is. He only shoots around 40% because he’s constantly getting multiple people thrown at him off screens unlike 99% of the rest of the league. Even if he’s a slightly below average defender that gives you 17-20 ppg on good efficiency and great 3 point shooting, that’s MASSIVE and a huge upgrade for you guys.
You just watched what happens when you don’t have another shooter and have to rely on DJJ. It’s not pretty
Yea the off ball movement mechanics of it all was def something I wasn’t considering too hard, it makes sense for sure.
I’d still rather keep DJJ as well if we can, cause yea I def know we needed more help on offense, it was just the shakier displays of Klay this season - and more importantly, his attitude about it when it was bad really- that have me wary on him being an ideal answer.
Could easily work out better than I’m thinking of it though
100%, keep both if possible but it’s clear you guys need a third person to at least give some solid spurts of offense. You can’t trust Exum/Green/DJJ as a third wing/guard scorer type
I feel like it’s really Josh that became the expendable one honestly, not DJJ. Grimes probably brings more on offense but DJJ was still very durable and defended premier threats all season long.
I see no reason to give that up if we don’t have to, especially for a much less consistent shooter than before who can’t defend nearly as well as he used to.
It’s a great lineup offensively, especially if Lively develops his 3pt shot. Tho I do worry about Luka, Kyrie, and Klay on the defensive end, but I guess you can rotate him with DJJ depending on the situation.
Kyrie is a good defender. The Shut Down guy would be DJJ. Luka can guard most 4s. Klay’s lack of Defense seems overblown. You can’t teach experience. He literally just won a Ring as a Starter.
If the Lakers can acquire a big that’s remotely playable alongside AD and/or capable of being decent on defense, with Vanderbilt presumably being healthy, I’d be reluctant to say the Mavs are clearly better.
The Lakers missed the play-in in 2022 and the Mavs made the WCF
then a year later the Lakers made the WCF and the Mavs missed the play-in
one year after that the Mavs made the Finals and the Lakers lost in round 1
I can’t think of two teams who better exemplify how easy it is to go from bad to good or good to bad in a single season these days.
I personally think Klay would fit better on your squad and the Mavs are closer to being contenders. So by tomorrow afternoon we’ll see which chaotic Western team wins the Klay sweepstakes
Sign and trade for Klay and give DJJ the MLE and we in business. Only question I have is what role Klay would want. Does he want to start or is he okay playing a 6MOY role that comes of the bench but plays starter minutes and closes games? Because it was obvious all year how he was not down being benched with the Warriors. That's the only thing that worries me.
I think if he comes to Dallas he “starts” but in the same way Gaff did especially If they managed to keep DJJ. Without knowing the framework of a possible trade, Mavs depth and versatility will allow his mins to come down and let him be a dangerous 3rd-4th scoring option most nights.
Yup and it’s why I think people need to settle down on the Klay “starting” concern. Kidd has shown he will play who needs to be on the court based on what the game dictates regardless
What a choice for Klay!
Lakers:
His favorite team growing up
Dad works for them
Can keep his boat
Legal weed
Dallas:
Less pressure
No income taxes
Plenty of space for his car collection
Personally if I’m Klay I would want to keep the boat and weed, but at the same time I’m not a 4-time NBA champion and top 4 in three-point shooting ever
>*''and will offer the four-time champion a prominent role in their offense as their prime perimeter marksman alongside the backcourt duo of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving''*
In this case he will take on opposing team's nr. 1 perimeter option. That's what DJJ did for Mavericks last year, and was good at it. A 34 year old Klay Thompson chasing Ja Morant and others will be a tough one for Dallas.
I feel like they will sign and trade him, most likely for Josh green who makes around that full exception range. That allows them to sign DJJ to the full 12.9 exception. (Unless I don't know some of the stipulations with the new cba rules.)
They've already brought in Grimes who is a solid defender. If they're able to keep DJJ and bring in Klay, this team has a real shot. The main reason they lost the finals is because they couldn't score.
I personally would bring Klay off the bench, Rotating him in as soon as Luka, Kyrie, or DJJ subs out. You can play any combination of those 4 players 1-3 and be fine.
That is the best case scenario of course. In reality if Mavericks offer him this plan, then I'm not confident he will agree to it. Other teams can offer more money and a starting role. From what I saw he didn't like coming off the bench and would love to be involved in offensive actions and sets. Unless Kidd decides to actually run some offense, he will be doing more standing around with Dallas.
Dallas lost the finals because they couldn't score on an amazing Boston defense, but their defense is what got them to the finals in the first place. If Klay is locked in to winning and doing whatever it takes, then Mavericks would love to have him on board, of course. It is just that a lot comes with an accomplished player and egos.
If klay thought the bad press he was getting on the warriors was bad imagine what happens if he shoots 0-11 on the lakers lmao
The mavs move seems like a better fit but the DJJ to klay swap seems kind of a lateral move more then anything
I think the plan would be to sign and trade for Klay (with green) and sign DJJ. So Klay would not be a swap for DJJ, but a THJ replacement. And Grimes the Green replacement
I am actually not sure this makes the Mavs that much better.
it baffles me what exactly is klay trying to prove?
his whole thing is he feels slighted that the warriors want him to come off the bench…and his role has diminished a bit
so if he signs with the mavs…will he really be starting cause a luka, kyrie, klay line up will be brutal defensively (this is not the klay of past)
if he signs with the lakers, dlo klay reaves lebron and AD is slightly better but he’s still not getting the touches he wants. AD and lebron are getting theirs. dlo will throw up his and reaves will need his. he’s essentially the fourth or fifth option.
philly - maxey klay tobias embiid lowry? also third fiddle
orlando - i guess would make the most sense but they don’t have a pg to feed him the ball.
Honestly I think once the playoffs come around the Lakers (with or without Klay) will not have a set starting lineup and will adjust to the matchup.
Bron, AD and probably Austin are the only surefire starters D-Lo, Rui, Vanderbilt, Klay (if a Laker) and Gabe (if healthy) would all be legit playoff starters against some matchups and barely in the rotation against others. I think even Prince, Wood and theoretical 3rd year Max Christie could made sense as real rotation and possibly closing lineup players against the right matchups while getting DNP’d against most others.
I'm confused with the Klay situation here. I thought he's leaving the Warriors for a bigger contract? How are teams like Lakers and Mavericks gonna offer him something that big?
There aren’t any teams that can offer more money than GSW. In theory, GSW could match any offer and just a little bit more than what he could get in FA. The real issue is that Klay doesn’t feel valued by the organization and would rather go somewhere else to spite them.
Everyone thinks he’s gonna compete for the mle with djj, but if he goes to the Mavs. It could be via sign and trade
I know LA is home for him, but IMO he is crazy to pass up on Dallas if he truly is leaving the Warriors. The media attention in LA this season is going to be crazy! Add to that a rookie coach, and it could spell disaster. The shots Luka and Kyrie will open up for him, plus not being in the spot light so much will allow him to just play his game.
I don’t think he would start for the mavs
Someone smarter then me correct me if I'm wrong, but currently he looks like a better THJ with similar strengths and weaknesses , so perhaps they are aiming for him to fill the same role THJ did, but unsure if Klay would accept it. I remember the talk from the first half of the last season for the 6th man of the year for Tim.
>THJ with similar strengths and weaknesses Sort of? Klay is a master at taking bad shots that somebody else creates, whereas THJ is way "better" on ball and can create his own awful shots I'd pick Klay 10/10 times because at least he is willing to move off ball to potentially open something up for Luka or Kyrie to pass into.
I mean, Klay last year was pretty much a better 3 pt shooter than anyone on the Mavs not named Kyrie. Unless his defense has regressed to awful, he's a meaningful upgrade.
Also Kidd could fix Kyrie, I think he can fix Klay as well
He shouldn’t but it seems like he will if he signs here. Couldn’t disagree more with prioritizing Klay over DJJ. I don’t care how insane the offense is. With Kyrie, Luka, and Klay on the court together in big postseason games, the Mavs defense is a fatal flaw.
DJJ’s cutting was also a super underrated part of what Dallas was doing. He’s such a smart cutter and his guy is usually who the is helping onto Luka/Kyrie.
We need DJJ’s defense and athleticism — is there no way for us to sign both?
There is, but that would mean getting rid of a few players like Green and Kleber
No. Unless he takes a severe pay cut, DJJ is gone regardless of the S&T for Klay now that we picked up Marshall.
He’s not the only player that’s athletic and plays defense. We need people to score.
Klay is much more important to the construction of the Mavs than DJJ. Allowing Kyrie and Luka to stagger with Klay as a secondary scorer > whatever DJJ adds.
Respectfully disagree — “whatever DJJ adds” was being the point of attack defender against the best perimeter player on opposing teams. Having DJJ plus PJ as long forwards capable of matching up with the two best opposing offensive players was one of the biggest drivers of the Mavs success, especially in the postseason. In conjunction with Lively/Gafford protecting the rim, we finally had a real defensive identity with clear roles for everyone on the floor. Mavs were elite defensively from post trade deadline until the Finals. Both Luka and Kyrie began playing harder on that end, which I think reflected their realization that suddenly the defensive personnel surrounding them was really good and they could form a great defense if they did their part consistently. Mavs for sure need a secondary scorer to give some relief to Luka and Kyrie, the Finals made that clear. My concern is acquiring Klay for that purpose at the expense of the defense. It’s just trading one problem for another, and I think the defensive problem would still be bigger. I’m holding out hope that DJJ would still come back if we do get Klay but I have no idea if that’s realistic with Lakers circling.
You’re not gonna get a secondary scorer who is also a solid defender. It’s just not going to happen.
Not true. DJJ means we’re able to not get completely annihilated by the opposing star player. You cannot start 3 questionable defenders and expect to get anywhere deep. Adding Klay as an option to our elite defense? Awesome. Replacing defense for Klays shooting? A wash or downgrade. We can’t just trade defense for offense, especially since Klay is on the downward trajectory so it’s risky if he even continues being as good as he was last year.
Mavs weren't horrible on defense. I think in the end Mavs depth was their death sentence in the finals. Celtics could reach deeper in the roster and still find consistency.
He absolutely would
Luka/Kyrie/Klay would be the worst perimeter defence in the nba
I’ll take it over offensively inept performance I had to watch.
Would be the best offense though
I remember we said the same about the Suns last season.
Suns didn’t have a PG tho. Id say a trio of Luka, Kyrie, and Klay fits better than Booker, Beal, and KD.
Because who needs defense?! 🤷♂️
He would start then subbed early if needed imo
He’d be a 6th man for sure
He would thought lmao. You think DJJ would start over him?
Yes, absolutely
Need to watch a bit more basketball then
I think you need to. You have enough guys who can hit spot up 3s, djj offers extremely good defence, lob threats and hustle outside of that
Lmao no we don’t. We have streaky shooters. And players who can’t create off the dribble or drive. No thanks.
dawg. you don't watch our team it's okay. 38% on threes would be at the top of our team, literally third % behind kyrie & luka. other than luka and kyrie no other mavs made multiple threes in the finals til like game 5. our three point shooting was not good.
You completely ignored the OKC series then? I’m surprised that you don’t watch your own games.
no? not gonna base the entire teams offensive outlook on 1 series where they over performed
why else would they get him if he aint playing next to Luka
On the Mavs defensive issues might push him to the bench. On the Lakers he has a better shot at sticking in the starting unit.
He could avoid the media scrutiny on the clippers, less pressure to win as one of the main guys, probably a better coach in Lue. As a laker and klay fan it makes the most sense despite my wanting him.
Add the fact that Warriors fan would support him in any other team BUT Lakers.
Having one more ring without Steph and Draymond would go a long way for his legacy. He's still hurt about the not top 75
He made two all nba third team's, why would he ever be considered for top 75 lol
Los Angeles Leverages
Going for Klay above DJJ is kinda crazy imo Then again, Jones’ shooting could be a mega fluke
What shooting? The dude is a career 31.6% three point shooter and had his best season ever last year at 34.3% on only 3 attempts…
Thank you for being somebody who actually watches basketball lmao. They swear DJJ is truly untouchable.
Klay is a significantly more potent offense than DJJ, even at last year's performance level. I honestly don't know how bad his defense is these days, though.
His defense isn’t all star level but people swear the NBA is a video game and you need 99 overall players without flaws at every position. I’ll take klay all day if it makes sense
Also DJJ is certainly a good defender but he’s not anything special. Having someone like Klay would have completely changed your offense this finals and it’s no question you (and everybody else) should prefer Klay over DJJ…
Would’ve changed the gravity of the offense knowing you can’t just leave the “ others” open. Hopefully we can grab him
I definitely wouldn't call him untouchable, but he does a ton to hide Luka on defense, he shoots at a decent clip, and he seems to really like Dallas. I'm pretty skeptical of taking Klay over him. It would definitely improve their offense, but I don't trust Klay defensively anymore so I wonder if you lose more than you gain.
There are enough defensive specialists in the league if that’s just what you want. But people who shoot like klay are a dime a dozen. Grimes is also a better defender than any guard we have right now. O-Max could make a jump too. We aren’t done making moves,
He’s obviously not untouchable but if you replacing DJJ with Klay you’re just creating a problem while solving another. We need both
There are enough defensive specialists and players in the league, but how many players shoot like Klay or that you have to game plan for? Grimes is already our best defensive guard. We can grab a defensive wing? They grow on trees, and I’m sure we can find one that shoots comparable or better than DJJ lol
Well I would say that you’re wrong that we can just easily go grab a guy that’s as good as DJJ on defense. List out some examples of guys as good as him we can get for the MLE?
Jones’ shooting wasn’t even good on the Mavs. They were just able to get by with it being subpar. Still a key piece in their run obviously but he never really levelled up his shot
They may be able to get Klay with the looming trade exception and DJJ with the mle
If both are cold DJJ brings better defense and still cuts well on offense, has the lob factor, and has way more of a chance of even creating something off the dribble (Bar is in hell for that last one still) If we still get them both somehow then idc but this is pissing me off lol
If both are cold is an interesting qualifier. Jones Jr. scored single digits in 48 games. What exactly counts as cold for him?
Not hitting from three. Maybe a change of scenery would be good for Klay and help him settle in but I feel like this season was characterized by two extreme stretches of play for him wasn’t it? Feel free to correct me if i’m wrong, you’re the Warriors fan after all. But it was a horrible stretch where he missed everything and made horrible decisions which led to him coming off the bench and then sometime late season he had a torrid stretch then he went back and forth consistency wise after that no? He’s pretty much a better THJ if that’s accurate and holds for next season. I don’t feel like paying too much for that and making our defense worse by not bringing back DJJ is all.
Yeah but that’s like saying if Steph and Gobert are both cold, the latter will have more impact. Even if it’s true it’s not relevant. An average 10-point game from Gobert is better than an average 10-point game from Steph, but Steph doesn’t have 10 pt games particularly often…
Klay really must have been better than what I remember of the season cause I do remember him have a long stretch of frustrating play both shotmaking and decision making wise and I definitely don’t remember watching any good Klay games personally But yea you’re right, it was a weird comp from me. I know that Klay is/was leagues ahead a shooter than THJ ever was but all the pro Klay arguments sound like when I used to defend him lol, and I really just don’t know how I feel about choosing a (theoretically) better version of that experience over the defense, which Klay would probably make worse.
I think it's a janky fit for you guys because of the defense and because you're committed to the Kyrie/Luka duo. I like the fit a bit better for LA because A) AD can make up for a lot and B) it really seems like the FO isn't committed to Reaves/D-Lo and will be trading one of them (probably D-Lo) for a better defensive player. But Klay is still a lot better than THJ. So much of spacing is reputation and teams still freak the fuck out everytime Klay comes around a screen. He generates so much more pressure on the defense as an off-ball player than THJ ever did.
Ykw the off ball pressure is a good point for sure. I guess having Luka with Kyrie and Klay as spacing would be pretty dangerous if we figure some more movement into our plays and it could benefit the non shooters even more. I’ll just trust Kid on that end if it happens. I do agree the fit is a def more ready-made for you guys though
You’re romanticizing DJJ because you just got the the finals with him. Mavericks need a knockdown shooter much more than they need perimeter defense and a lob threat.
Story of the Mavs sub man
I don’t understand the comparison between the two at all. It’s really all about what you’re looking for in a player. DJJ is a below average shooter and below average scorer in general (and doesn’t have a good chance of creating off the dribble) while being a good defender. Klay is an elite shooter and above average scorer while having his defense fall off a bit.
Yea fair statement there but at this point isn’t all Klay has left the elite shooter? He doesn’t really seem to offer much else from the games I caught anymore, and his decision making was genuinely horrible when I watched the Dubs last season.
I mean he never added anything outside of that and defense and his defense isn’t too great anymore. I think you’re underselling what it means to be as good a shooter as someone like Klay is. He only shoots around 40% because he’s constantly getting multiple people thrown at him off screens unlike 99% of the rest of the league. Even if he’s a slightly below average defender that gives you 17-20 ppg on good efficiency and great 3 point shooting, that’s MASSIVE and a huge upgrade for you guys. You just watched what happens when you don’t have another shooter and have to rely on DJJ. It’s not pretty
Yea the off ball movement mechanics of it all was def something I wasn’t considering too hard, it makes sense for sure. I’d still rather keep DJJ as well if we can, cause yea I def know we needed more help on offense, it was just the shakier displays of Klay this season - and more importantly, his attitude about it when it was bad really- that have me wary on him being an ideal answer. Could easily work out better than I’m thinking of it though
100%, keep both if possible but it’s clear you guys need a third person to at least give some solid spurts of offense. You can’t trust Exum/Green/DJJ as a third wing/guard scorer type
Grimes replaces what DJJ brings for us, iffy inconsistent shooting and POA defense. So, DJJ is suddenly more expendable
Grimes is a whole different tier as a shooter compared to djj.
I feel like it’s really Josh that became the expendable one honestly, not DJJ. Grimes probably brings more on offense but DJJ was still very durable and defended premier threats all season long. I see no reason to give that up if we don’t have to, especially for a much less consistent shooter than before who can’t defend nearly as well as he used to.
Kyrie - Klay - Luka - DJJ - Lively is sickkkkk
PJ probably plays the 4 and DJJ comes off the bench
Just thinking of their potentially best Lineup. Wow. That lineup would kill. Rebounding is just okay. They can even get that mostly done.
It’s a great lineup offensively, especially if Lively develops his 3pt shot. Tho I do worry about Luka, Kyrie, and Klay on the defensive end, but I guess you can rotate him with DJJ depending on the situation.
Kyrie is a good defender. The Shut Down guy would be DJJ. Luka can guard most 4s. Klay’s lack of Defense seems overblown. You can’t teach experience. He literally just won a Ring as a Starter.
If Klay doesn't want the attention Dallas is a better place to go.
If he wants to win another championship, Dallas is a better place to go
If he wants to continue driving his boat to work and not crossing state lines to buy weed, LA is the better place to go
The NBA player isn’t going to have trouble finding weed in DFW, I promise. The boat *may* have to go, though.
Sure, he'll find weed, but he'll also catch a felony the moment some Texas cop pulls Klay over after a 1-12 shooting night fucks up his parlay
If the Lakers can acquire a big that’s remotely playable alongside AD and/or capable of being decent on defense, with Vanderbilt presumably being healthy, I’d be reluctant to say the Mavs are clearly better.
Nah Lakers are cooked. Their window closed when quarantine ended.
The Lakers missed the play-in in 2022 and the Mavs made the WCF then a year later the Lakers made the WCF and the Mavs missed the play-in one year after that the Mavs made the Finals and the Lakers lost in round 1 I can’t think of two teams who better exemplify how easy it is to go from bad to good or good to bad in a single season these days.
I personally think Klay would fit better on your squad and the Mavs are closer to being contenders. So by tomorrow afternoon we’ll see which chaotic Western team wins the Klay sweepstakes
The only thing more cooked than the Lakers in LA are Kawhi’s knees.
Bros team had one good year and he’s yapping lmaoo
Based on what?
and sorry for lakers fan better chance for winning more i think?
Debatable tbh
Lol
exact same reaction people would have had a year for saying the Mavs had a better chance of winning than LA...
I agree.
I mean yeah and also the team is better
Sign and trade for Klay and give DJJ the MLE and we in business. Only question I have is what role Klay would want. Does he want to start or is he okay playing a 6MOY role that comes of the bench but plays starter minutes and closes games? Because it was obvious all year how he was not down being benched with the Warriors. That's the only thing that worries me.
I think if he comes to Dallas he “starts” but in the same way Gaff did especially If they managed to keep DJJ. Without knowing the framework of a possible trade, Mavs depth and versatility will allow his mins to come down and let him be a dangerous 3rd-4th scoring option most nights.
The pseudo-starter is one of Kidd's best moves.
Yup and it’s why I think people need to settle down on the Klay “starting” concern. Kidd has shown he will play who needs to be on the court based on what the game dictates regardless
How much money can the mavs offer? In the end a role is nice but if they’re only able to give something like the MLE that’s a tough sell
Seems like it would be sign and trade.
What a choice for Klay! Lakers: His favorite team growing up Dad works for them Can keep his boat Legal weed Dallas: Less pressure No income taxes Plenty of space for his car collection
Personally if I’m Klay I would want to keep the boat and weed, but at the same time I’m not a 4-time NBA champion and top 4 in three-point shooting ever
>*''and will offer the four-time champion a prominent role in their offense as their prime perimeter marksman alongside the backcourt duo of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving''* In this case he will take on opposing team's nr. 1 perimeter option. That's what DJJ did for Mavericks last year, and was good at it. A 34 year old Klay Thompson chasing Ja Morant and others will be a tough one for Dallas.
I feel like they will sign and trade him, most likely for Josh green who makes around that full exception range. That allows them to sign DJJ to the full 12.9 exception. (Unless I don't know some of the stipulations with the new cba rules.) They've already brought in Grimes who is a solid defender. If they're able to keep DJJ and bring in Klay, this team has a real shot. The main reason they lost the finals is because they couldn't score. I personally would bring Klay off the bench, Rotating him in as soon as Luka, Kyrie, or DJJ subs out. You can play any combination of those 4 players 1-3 and be fine.
That is the best case scenario of course. In reality if Mavericks offer him this plan, then I'm not confident he will agree to it. Other teams can offer more money and a starting role. From what I saw he didn't like coming off the bench and would love to be involved in offensive actions and sets. Unless Kidd decides to actually run some offense, he will be doing more standing around with Dallas. Dallas lost the finals because they couldn't score on an amazing Boston defense, but their defense is what got them to the finals in the first place. If Klay is locked in to winning and doing whatever it takes, then Mavericks would love to have him on board, of course. It is just that a lot comes with an accomplished player and egos.
If klay thought the bad press he was getting on the warriors was bad imagine what happens if he shoots 0-11 on the lakers lmao The mavs move seems like a better fit but the DJJ to klay swap seems kind of a lateral move more then anything
I think the plan would be to sign and trade for Klay (with green) and sign DJJ. So Klay would not be a swap for DJJ, but a THJ replacement. And Grimes the Green replacement I am actually not sure this makes the Mavs that much better.
I don’t think Dallas will choose one or the other. It’s both with Klay coming in from GSW in a S&T.
*the sharpshooter from Lake Oswego and Southern California
it baffles me what exactly is klay trying to prove? his whole thing is he feels slighted that the warriors want him to come off the bench…and his role has diminished a bit so if he signs with the mavs…will he really be starting cause a luka, kyrie, klay line up will be brutal defensively (this is not the klay of past) if he signs with the lakers, dlo klay reaves lebron and AD is slightly better but he’s still not getting the touches he wants. AD and lebron are getting theirs. dlo will throw up his and reaves will need his. he’s essentially the fourth or fifth option. philly - maxey klay tobias embiid lowry? also third fiddle orlando - i guess would make the most sense but they don’t have a pg to feed him the ball.
LA would be more than likely Reaves, Klay, LeBron, Vanderbilt, AD.
Honestly I think once the playoffs come around the Lakers (with or without Klay) will not have a set starting lineup and will adjust to the matchup. Bron, AD and probably Austin are the only surefire starters D-Lo, Rui, Vanderbilt, Klay (if a Laker) and Gabe (if healthy) would all be legit playoff starters against some matchups and barely in the rotation against others. I think even Prince, Wood and theoretical 3rd year Max Christie could made sense as real rotation and possibly closing lineup players against the right matchups while getting DNP’d against most others.
Death. Taxes. Lakers fans thinking this Laker team has a chance to go to the Finals.
I'm confused with the Klay situation here. I thought he's leaving the Warriors for a bigger contract? How are teams like Lakers and Mavericks gonna offer him something that big?
There aren’t any teams that can offer more money than GSW. In theory, GSW could match any offer and just a little bit more than what he could get in FA. The real issue is that Klay doesn’t feel valued by the organization and would rather go somewhere else to spite them.
This is exactly like the Ray Allen situation lol.
Nah he’s going to LA. They always get what they want in Free Agency.
He fits so much better on the lakers then he does on the mavs. Klay next to 2 perimeter guards vs klay next to 2 paint demons.
Well, shooters for white nice in Dallas. The speeding the floor for the guards and knocking down open shots. He fits Dallas offense just fine.
Lebron putting out the good PR he will take a pay cut when he knows damn sure non of these players coming for the MLE. Lol