All-Star guard Klay Thompson was the Dallas Mavericks’ biggest summer signing after the team made it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Klay Thompson made his debut in a Dallas uniform against the Utah Jazz in the Mavericks’ second preseason game, although he missed the team’s opening game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Early in the second quarter, with the Mavericks behind 24–18, Thompson scored his first basket as a Maverick. After receiving a feed from Spencer Dinwiddie and an off-ball screen from Daniel Gafford, he quickly made a three-pointer. Thompson was 3-of-5 from three-point range at the half, finishing with ten points and three assists.

This season, Mavericks supporters will grow accustomed to seeing Thompson come off screens, use off-ball movement to create space for three-pointers. That was an offensive mainstay for the Golden State Warriors.

This offseason, Thompson signed a sign-and-trade agreement with the Mavericks that included the Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Minnesota Timberwolves. He had played his whole career with the Warriors up until that point.

The four-time NBA champion and the Warriors were unable to come to a contract extension agreement. It felt that a split in the offseason was unavoidable during the 2023–24 campaign.

After being selected with the eleventh overall choice in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thompson went on to play a key role in the success of four teams. The two were dubbed the “Splash Brothers” because of Stephen Curry’s remarkable ability to get hot from three-point range.With Golden State, Thompson appeared in five straight All-Star games before having his career ended by back-to-back serious injuries that kept him out of action for the whole 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons.

Still, he’s returned with a bang. Thompson participated in 77 games during the previous season, which was his highest total since going back to the court.