Klay Thompson’s first year with the Dallas Mavericks may go down as a giant “what could’ve been.”
After playing with Steph Curry and Draymond Green for over a decade on the Golden State Warriors, Thompson spent just a mere handful of months on the court with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving this past season. Doncic got traded away in early February while Irving suffered a season-ending ACL injury this past week, meaning that in the span of roughly a month Thompson has suddenly found himself to be the lone healthy star of the team.
In the words of his dad Mychal Thompson, he’s in “purgatory.”
“He thought with Luka and Kyrie that he had a chance to get back to the Finals,” Mychal Thompson said, via ESPN Los Angeles. “Obviously Luka left. I told him, ‘Well when AD is coming, you still got a chance to get to the Finals ‘cause AD’s that good.’ Then he’s hurt! And then Gafford got hurt. Then Lively got hurt. So yeah, Klay’s stuck in purgatory right now… I think they’re going to lose ten in a row.”
Mychal Thompson (@champagnennuts) spoke on his son Klay’s experience in Dallas since the Luka trade. pic.twitter.com/qxdt7vM8KR
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) March 6, 2025
A pretty pessimistic assessment of the season from Mr. Thompson, but one that a frustrated Mavs fanbase is inclined to agree with.
During his introductory press conference with the Mavericks last year, Thompson named Doncic and Irving as two marquee players who drew him to Dallas over the Los Angeles Lakers. The former Warriors star seemed to be getting along with his new teammates until the Doncic trade went down on Feb. 2, and then a slew of injuries crippled the Mavs in the ensuing weeks.
Anthony Davis, acquired as part of the Doncic swap, played just one game for Dallas before picking up an adductor strain injury that has kept him sidelined for a month. Dereck Lively, Caleb Martin, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington and Irving have also missed time due to injury, causing the Mavs bench to look shockingly barren in recent games.
As the injuries continue to pile up, Mychal Thompson probably isn’t the only one wondering what the Mavericks have to play for this season. Dallas has gone 6-8 since the Doncic trade, and currently sit in 10th place in the West with a middling 32-31 record.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Klay Thompson’s Dad Says Mavs Star Is ‘Stuck in Purgatory’ After Kyrie Irving Injury.
