“Strong mutual interest” is expected between Klay Thompson and the Mavericks when free agency opens on Sunday night, NBA insider Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack post.
Reports have long indicated the lack of contact between Thompson and the Warriors, where he’s won four rings and played since 2011. Now, Stein writes the Mavs are likely to emerge as the favorites to sign the Splash Brother.
With the Mavericks sending Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Pistons, Dallas is able to create flexibility to sign the five-time All-Star to a multi-year contract. What is not clear, is whether the Mavs could acquire Thompson through sign-and-trade or if they’d also be able to keep Derrick Jones Jr., who was an instrumental piece en route to their NBA Finals appearance.
As has been reported, teams with cap space like Orlando and Philadelphia are expected to show some interest in Thompson if he doesn’t return to the Warriors, but his preference is to remain in the Western Conference.
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