Fansided

Lakers fans want to fire everyone after whiffing on Klay Thompson

LeBron James opted to take a pay cut to bring Klay Thompson into the fold. Even still, Thompson passed on the Los Angeles Lakers.

By Mark Powell

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers / Harry How/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

Rather than remaining in California upon leaving the Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson has opted to sign with the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks. There, Thompson will team up with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic as one of the best knockdown shooters in the NBA.

Say what you want about Thompson -- he has taken a noticeable step back and isn't as productive with the ball in his hands as he once was pre-injury -- he remains a three-point specialist and is capable of getting hot any given night.

While the Mavericks are the winners of the Thompson sweepstakes -- they did sign the splash brother, after all -- the Los Angeles Lakers are undoubtedly the losers. Given their payroll and the fact that LeBron James is a currently a free agent, there is only so much Rob Pelinka can do to convince a star player to sign in Hollywood.

James reportedly contacted Thompson prior to the start of free agency, and would've taken a pay cut to sign him. It wasn't enough.

LeBron James and the Lakers are the butt of every joke after missing on Klay Thompson

Any time the Lakers miss on a star player, their fans panic and the rest of basketball is downright thrilled. These days, the offseason is the Lakers NBA Finals, especially as James ages and LA hopes to make one last title run around he and Anthony Davis. Los Angeles made the postseason as the No. 7 seed in 2024, and remain a few coveted pieces away from the upper-echelon of the Western Conference.

NBA Twitter had a field day at the Lakers expense as they fell short of one of their most critical offseason goals -- adding more reliable shooters.

Lakers fans may blame Rob Pelinka for failing to put much championship-level talent around James and Davis, but there's only so much he can do with the hand he was dealt. Pelinka has remained loyal to LeBron this offseason, even making his podcast host head coach and drafting his son.

As much as the NBA seems like a soap opera at times, the best organizations aren't just built around relationships, but legitimate legitimate talent and assets. The Lakers are lacking in that department.

feed

Home/Los Angeles Lakers