2 weeks Ago By Rory Robinson
Klay Thompson had no interest in entertaining hypotheticals that he referred to as "ridiculous" after the Dallas Mavericks were bounced from the NBA Play-In Tournament with a 120-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies . In the Mavs locker room, a reporter asked Thompson if he would have still signed with Dallas last summer had he known Luka Doncic would be traded . The question referred to the blockbuster deal that sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in an unexpected three-team trade involving the Utah Jazz .
In return, the Mavericks acquired Anthony Davis , Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick, while the Jazz received a haul of prospects and assets. "Don't do this to me. Don't do that to me.
Don't do that," he said, burying his head into his hands before responding further. "That's kind of a ridiculous question, because I don't own a time machine, and I don't believe in going back, looking back. "If I didn't have my whole career, I would not be where I'm at, and I wouldn't have been able to persevere through two really hard injuries.
So I'm here in Dallas, and I enjoyed my time, and I'm looking forward to the future." NBA fans rallied behind the veteran guard with several on social media labeling the question as "lame." One fan who admitted to not even being a fan of Thompson wrote: "I can't stand Klay, and even I'll concede that I feel bad for him right there.
What an incredibly stupid question with no possible good response that could come from it." Thompson signed with the Mavericks during the offseason following 13 All-Star and championship-filled years with the Golden State Warriors . The six-team sign-and-trade that brought him to Dallas made NBA history as the first of its kind, and fans expected the move would reignite the Mavericks as contenders with Thompson adding veteran firepower alongside Doncic.
With Doncic shipped out midseason in a move that shocked the league, Thompson found himself having to lead a team that never found its footing with Kyrie Irving out due to injury , and Davis adjusting to his role within the squad. While Thompson started his Dallas tenure strong with a 22-point debut, he experienced a rough stretch until a late-November return to the Bay reignited his confidence. In his first matchup against the Warriors , he posted 22 points in a narrow 120-117 loss.
The second go-round was even better, and he dropped a season-high 29 points in a 143-133 Mavs win that had fans wondering if he'd rediscovered the rhythm lost during his final days with Golden State. Dallas finished the season short of expectations and missed the playoffs after their play-in defeat. Doncic has flourished in purple and gold, nearly averaging a 28-point triple-double while helping the Lakers secure the third seed in the West.
LA will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round. The Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler , forming a contrasting duo with Curry and leading a team that was struggling for a playoff spot to a seventh seed. Golden State's first-round clash is with the second-seeded Houston Rockets .
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