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[Saba Sports News] The Los Angeles Lakers made a significant effort to sign Klay Thompson before he joined the Dallas Mavericks, but a report has shed light on why he declined the opportunity to play alongside LeBron James.
Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks in a sign-and-trade deal. Despite reports suggesting the Lakers offered significantly more, it was initially unclear whether Thompson turned down the offer or if the Golden State Warriors were not interested in L.A.’s trade proposal.
According to a report by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews, LeBron James was willing to take less money on his new deal to help the Lakers offer Thompson around $80 million over four years. James also had “several deep conversations” with Thompson. However, Thompson felt that playing for the Lakers would be too similar to his experience with the Warriors, asking, “Would this be trading one fishbowl for another?”
Additionally, Thompson chose the Mavericks because they recently reached the NBA Finals, believing they are closer to winning a title than the Lakers. He sought a fresh start after his relationship with the Warriors soured and felt Dallas offered a better chance for that than L.A.
Thompson’s father, Mychal Thompson, who played for the Lakers and is now their radio color commentator, also publicly tried to persuade his son to join the Lakers, but neither LeBron’s pitch nor his father’s influence swayed Klay.