Nothing gold can stay

The Warriors lose Klay Thompson for almost nothing, and fall deeper into a talent hole.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

---

Time and Tide; Alfred Bricher; 1873

“Money, power, respect — the last one is better.” Respect, or the lack thereof, seems to be why Klay Thompson is no longer a Golden State Warrior, and why the Splash Brothers have dissolved, and why Klay will take less annual salary than what Golden State offered him last summer. Based on the early reporting out of San Francisco, Klay felt disrespected when the Warriors tried to negotiate with him like a normal player last summer, and everything changed from there.

Now he’ll suit up for the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million. The Mavericks lost Josh Green and some second-round picks in the deal; this is tidy work for Dallas to add another experienced talent to the roster at minimal cost (though Green is one of the team’s better young players, in my estimation). The bet is that the open looks Klay will get playing with Luka Doncic and/or Kyrie Irving will make the Mavericks’ offense even more powerful. There will be a definite defensive cost, especially when combined with the exit of Derrick Jones Jr., who has been replaced by Naji Marshall, who isn’t a huge step down on that end.

The vision is clear. Imagine Klay taking all those shots that DJJ, Dante Exum, Green, Tim Hardaway Jr. and even P.J. Washington took by the end of last season. Klay’s gravity alone will prevent teams from overloading on Luka and Kyrie action without paying a major price.

Unless, of course, Klay’s power stemmed in large part from the Warriors system and his partnership with Stephen Curry. Luka is better than Steph at this point in their careers, but he’s also different. We’ll need to see it all work to be sure. I’m optimistic the Dallas offense will tick upward. I’m pretty sure that situational defense could be a problem for the Mavericks. But I also thought that this season and postseason, and Dallas made the Finals.

Back to the Warriors.