Brian Windhorst Fully Supports Klay Thompson’s Choice to Pick Mavericks, Doesn’t Consider Lakers a Championship Team

Klay Thompson has recently severed his 13-year-long ties with California. Despite having the option to join the Los Angeles Lakers to extend his stay in the US State, the 34-year-old opted to take his talents to the Dallas Mavericks. Shortly after, his decision to shift to Texas received strong backing from Brian Windhorst, garnering the NBA community’s attention.

During the latest episode of ESPN’s Get Up, the 46-year-old outlined how the recent endeavors of both franchises played a key role in Thompson’s decision-making. In particular, the Mavs’ latest run to the championship finals had a clear upper hand against the Lakers’ instability. Expressing his viewpoint, Windy mentioned,

“They [the Lakers] are not comparable to where the Mavericks are from competing for championships. The Mavericks are right there on the doorstep…and they presented him with a very clear plan of how they’re gonna use him…[in comparison] the Lakers are still a bit of a mystery. JJ Redick, we’re not exactly sure what his system is gonna look like, how he’s gonna operate”.

"[The Lakers are] not comparable to where the Mavericks are from competing for championships."@windhorstESPN says Dallas made the most sense for Klay Thompson to chase a chip 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KkrcyKqHph

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 2, 2024

Amidst the harshness, the comments seemed justified. There remained a cloud of ambiguity over the Lakers’ ongoing actions. Additionally, the absence of a coaching identity of their recently appointed head coach, JJ Redick, also possibly failed to convince Thomspon.

On the contrary, the Mavs provided him with a clear plan to fit into their system. After all, the franchise was in dire need of a high-caliber three-point shooter. During the last regular season, for instance, they underwhelmingly ranked 13th in the league in three-point field goal percentage. By offering Thompson a 3-year $50 million deal, the franchise is undoubtedly expecting to end this misery.

The 4x champion has embraced this challenge. He consequently looks determined to leave his past behind to aim for a fresh start. As a result, Thompson will be looking to regain his old self in the upcoming season to terrorize his opponents from beyond the arc once again.