Why Klay Thompson left the Warriors for the Mavericks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Klay Thompson got to play in a bunch of Christmas Day games for the Golden State Warriors.
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This season, he gets to play against the Warriors on Christmas when the Dallas Mavericks take on Golden State on Thursday.
It’s the third of five games on Christmas Day in the NBA.
Thompson will be a high-profile piece of the action even while coming off the bench.
Because of how crucial he was to the Golden State dynasty, Thompson will grab plenty of notice in a different uniform.
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Why did Klay Thompson leave the Warriors for the Mavs?
Things started to get strained at the end for Klay.
At the time of the move, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported this:
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«In the final season of Thompson’s remarkable 13-year Warriors career, his relationship with the franchise became increasingly strained over contract discussions and his looming free agency. His departure became more and more likely as the season progressed.»
A number of teams sought to add Thompson to the mix.
The Mavericks were the ones who pulled off the sign-and-trade to actually make it happen.
Klay hasn’t been the same away from the Warriors, who haven’t really been the same without him, either.
