Recruiting wars: Kyrie Irving convinced Klay Thompson not to join LeBron James, Lakers

Of all the free agent announcements made over the last couple days, none have hit harder than Klay Thompson's decision to join the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million deal. It's the end of an era, truly, for the Golden State Warriors. Thompson was a cornerstone for basketball's great modern dynasty. He was supposed to retire in San Francisco and watch his jersey ascend to the Chase Center rafters.

The latter will still happen in due time, but Thompson is presently preparing for a new chapter in his NBA career. After his role diminished and the Warriors' confidence in Thompson's future waned, the swingman grew (justifiably) unmoored by a perceived lack of respect from the organization. Thompson probably feels like he earned another payday with four championships and extreme commitment to the community, but clearly Golden State felt differently.

Such is life is this cold-hearted business. It's never just about vibes and connections. It's not even about past accomplishments. We have to factor in money, and the nature of all investments. It's just not smart to pour serious long-term capital into an aging, declining wing who you plan to demote. Not smart from a business perspective, at least.

For Thompson, it helps to leave a beloved workplace when others want you. Thompson was highly sought-after on the open market, with the Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers widely reported as his most probable landing spots. The Lakers made a compelling pitch, even offering a fourth year on his contract and almost $30 million more in guaranteed money. LeBron James personally called Thompson to discuss the possibility, but in the end, Dallas won out.

The reasons? Myriad. But LeBron's former teammates actually deserves a nice chunk of credit for undermining the 22-year vet.

Kyrie Irving met Klay Thompson face-to-face to convince him to join Mavericks

According to Marc Stein, Thompson held face-to-face meetings with the Lakers and Mavs in LA on Sunday night. While James phoned Thompson at one point to discuss the possibility of teaming up, Kyrie Irving did him one better. The All-Star point guard showed up to discuss Thompson's Mavs fit in-person. Clearly, it worked.

Not that long ago, James and Irving were on the same team, battling Thompson's Warriors in the NBA Finals. Now, in a surprising twist of fate, they're on separate teams vying for the 34-year-old's services. Nobody ever really expected Thompson to leave. It always felt like such a distant possibility, even as recently as last month.

It's only fitting that James and Irving work so hard to recruit a player whom both have an immense amount of respect for. LeBron was even willing to take a pay cut for Thompson. When one considers James' pitch, the Lakers' brand, Thompson's family connection to LA (where his father played), and the convenience of a simple move down the coast, it's almost a mini-miracle that Thompson actually chose Dallas.

As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported, the friendlier state tax laws in Texas played a role in Thompson's decision. He's also joining the reigning Western Conference champs. That element cannot be ignored here; the Mavs are straight-up the better team.

But, it's also a testament to the appeal of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic as a duo. We always talk about players wanting to team up with LeBron, but the Lakers have been mostly an afterthought for a few years now. There is star power all across the league, and maybe the simple pitch of "we're the Lakers and I'm LeBron James" doesn't carry the weight it once did.