February 11, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) dribbles the basketball against Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Klay Thompson reveals new Mavericks signing he's 'excited' to play with

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 5:15 PM ET

Klay Thompson is set to enter his second season with the Dallas Mavericks, hoping to make the postseason run that eluded them last year due to injuries and bad trades. The Mavs only made one significant signing this offseason, and that was adding guard D'Angelo Russell to hold down the starting point guard role until Kyrie Irving returns.

This isn't the first time Thompson and Russell have been teammates, but it is the first time that they'll be playing together, and that is something that the future Hall-of-Famers is excited for.

"Well, D’Angelo is a seasoned vet now, which is crazy. I remember when he was selected number one or two. I think he was two. Now he’s eleven years in. Wow. Time flies,” Thompson started. "First thing when I heard we signed him, I was excited. It’s like, man, we missed the opportunity to play with each other. And here it is, a full circle moment.

"And just in our times together this past summer playing pickup, whether that be in Miami or here, he’s such a great floor general. He sees the game ahead of everybody else, and he’s a very underrated playmaker. So I’m excited to play with the guard of D-Lo’s caliber."

Russell was on the Golden State Warriors for all of about six months in the 2019-20 season, coming over in the sign-and-trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets to team up with Kyrie Irving. Unfortunately, Thompson missed that season due to an ACL tear suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, so the two never officially played together.

D'Angelo Russell Has Fallen Short of Thompson's Superstar Prediction

Back in 2019 when the Warriors acquired D'Angelo Russell, Thompson made a bold claim about the young guard: "I think D'Angelo Russell was an incredible get for us, I mean, the kid's gonna blossom into a superstar in this league."

Russell never became that All-Star that Thompson predicted. He was coming off an All-Star season with the Brooklyn Nets, but he struffled to find his footing after leaving Brooklyn. With the Warriors, he averaged an impressive 23.6 PPG and 6.2 APG in his 33 games with the Warriors, but they traded him midseason to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins.

Wiggins would go on to be a pivotal piece for the 2022 Warriors, who won a championship, while Russell has bounced back to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Nets before joining the Mavericks, where he hopes to revive his career.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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