Former NBA Player Makes Klay Thompson Realization

The Dallas Mavericks wing could have secured a larger payday this past offseason, according to Gilbert Arenas.

Oct 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) reacts against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With a 3-1 record through four games, the Dallas Mavericks new season is going quite well. They added Klay Thompson alongside their duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, which is seemingly paying off thus far.

After achieving an NBA Finals appearance last summer, the Mavericks walked into the season with expectations, and they're delivering so far, even on a small sample size.

However, according to Gilbert Arenas, Thompson could have gotten a bigger payday than he did this offseason. He inked a three-year, $50 million to join Dallas and compete for another championship. While hosting "Gil's Arena," Arenas made his point known.

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“I feel bad for Klay...If you take his name off of his stats, everybody is lining up... $30-$40 million per year," Arenas said. "Buddy Hield is playing very well right now. If he had those stats coming in, y'all would have gave him $120 million. When you really want to make someone irrelevant, you look at what you want to look at."

Gilbert Arenas believes that Klay Thompson would have earned up to $40M per season if his name weren’t Klay Thompson

“I feel bad for Klay...If you take his name off of his stats, everybody is lining up... $30-$40 million per year.”

(🎥 @GilsArenaShow)

pic.twitter.com/0gBWIXxihM

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 31, 2024

Through four games, Thompson is the Mavericks' third-leading scorer at 16.5 points per contest. With Irving and Doncic both being 20-plus points per game scorers, Thompson's role is primarily spacing the floor, and the total number of points scored doesn't tell the full story.

While some might be stuck on the figure that Thompson is making, it's more important to understand that the legendary sharpshooter is with a club in which he can help deliver a title while playing a key role, which wasn't possible with the Golden State Warriors anymore.

The Mavericks, as mentioned, have real expectations for the season, and Thompson can help the team deliver on those expectations while getting a much-needed change of scenery.

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READ MORE: Mavericks a Consistent Top 5 Team in NBA Power Rankings

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