Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers have heard the rumors for years. There's always been talk about Klay Thompson making the move to LA to suit up for the franchise his father famously played for. But now, because of Luka Doncic, it seems there could actually be a real opportunity for that dream to become reality.
When Thompson famously left the Golden State Warriors last offseason, he did so to seize the opportunity of playing with such a talented player as Doncic. Obviously, playing next to a guy who just took his team to the finals in an improbable playoff run was a highly desirable experience.
And so, for around half a season, Thompson got just that kind of experience he was looking for. But with Doncic missing significant time following Christmas, and then being traded to Los Angeles in February, the opportunity he essentially moved to Dallas for disappeared in an instant.
The situation that Klay envisioned with the Mavericks no longer exists. Now, on one hand, you can say Dallas is in arguably as good of a position as they were before due to winning the lottery and getting the top pick that will allow them to select Cooper Flagg in the draft.
Thompson could finally have his opportunity to play with 77
But on the other hand, you can view it from the perspective that the player he looked forward to partnering with most is no longer in his city. So that begs the question, would Thompson desire to finally fulfill the Lakers rumors and come to Los Angeles to reunite with Luka in Southern California?
Well, let's think of it from a logistical point of view. Thompson already didn't play quite as many minutes this past season with the Mavericks as many initially envisioned. On top of that, Dallas now has a crowded center rotation, and they could look to make a move this summer.
Should Dallas deal away one of their centers, it's entirely possible they look to move Klay as well, given he's one of their more expendable rotation players. If the Mavs go this route, the Lakers could look to get in on the action.
Sure, maybe this isn't the same Klay Thompson that scored 60 points while taking 11 dribbles in three quarters back in 2016. But he's still a player who can create significant scoring gravity from the perimeter, and he'd be a valuable shooter to put around Luka Doncic.
Bringing Klay Thompson to Los Angeles would be an underrated way for the Lakers to level up and become a more dangerous playoff team. Plus, how sweet would it be to see Mychal Thompson sitting courtside for every game at Crypto.com Arena supporting his son wearing number 11 (or 31)? This would be a very fun outcome for Lakers fans.