Inside The Warriors

Los Angeles Lakers' Shocking Offer for Klay Thompson Revealed

The Lakers reportedly did all they could to land Klay Thompson

Joey Linn

Jan 27, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts while dribbling against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 27, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts while dribbling against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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The Dallas Mavericks have reportedly landed four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson in a sign and trade agreement with the Golden State Warriors. Winning the Thompson sweepstakes that reportedly included strong interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas secures an elite three-point shooter with championship experience as they attempt to defend their Western Conference Championship and pursue an NBA title.

Lakers star LeBron James was reportedly very involved in his team's recruitment of Thompson, but came up short in his efforts to land the champion in LA. According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, this was not due to a lack of commitment from the Lakers, as they were reportedly prepared to sign Thompson for $20M per season.

According to Haynes, this would have been facilitated via a sign and trade that would have landed D'Angelo Russell back in Golden State where he spent part of one season. Thompson's deal with Dallas is reportedly for three years and $50M, which is less annual money than Haynes reported was on the table in Los Angeles.

In the end, it seemed Thompson most valued a chance to compete for an NBA championship next season as a heavily featured offensive weapon, which is something Dallas can offer him at a much more certain degree than Golden State or Los Angeles, who are further from contention.

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Joey Linn

JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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