Klay Thompson has opened up about his decision to leave money on the table for a chance at better basketball.
Thompson turned heads on Tuesday when he agreed to a huge buyout with the Dallas Mavericks to facilitate a move to the Miami Heat. The 36-year-old reportedly gave up about $9.8 million of his $17.5 million salary for next season to make it happen.
During his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Thompson was asked about the “significant sacrifice” he made to sign with the Heat.
“The opportunity to play high-level basketball throughout the season, a chance to make a deep postseason run. Those things were so attractive to me,” Thompson said.
“Obviously, you want to maximize your earning potential as an athlete. But I’ve tasted winning before. There’s really nothing like it. Even getting there and failing is better than not having a shot at it.”
Thompson added that he believes himself to be a “great fit” with the Heat, considering his ability to space the floor for a team that will heavily rely on two non-shooting big men. He pointed to Miami’s talented help defenders being there to help pick him up on the other end of the floor.
The 5-time All-Star signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Heat that includes a player option on the second year. Considering that money coming in, Thompson’s sacrifice would likely amount to a few million guaranteed rather than a full-blown Jalen Brunson-esque pay cut.
Thompson has clearly slowed down compared to his best days with the Golden State Warriors. But the veteran sharpshooter still averaged 12.9 points on nearly 40 percent shooting in his two seasons with the Mavericks.
