Mega contract: Hartenstein to OKC Reports: Dallas Mavericks sign “Splash Brother” Thompson
01.07.2024, 21:58
Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and the German Maxi Kleber are celebrating: According to consistent media reports, the Dallas Mavericks are signing four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors. Isaiah Hartenstein is also moving to a new NBA team with a future.
After losing the final of the North American professional basketball league NBA against Boston, the Dallas Mavericks are apparently making a new attempt at the title with prominent reinforcements. According to US media reports, four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson has agreed to a three-year contract worth 50 million dollars with the team of German forward Maximilian Kleber.
Thompson would provide additional shooting quality for the Texans alongside stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The 34-year-old has played for the Golden State Warriors since 2011, and with the Californians he formed a congenial duo with Stephen Curry (“Splash Brothers”) and won the NBA championship in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. After a disappointing season with the Warriors, five-time All-Star Thompson became a free agent without a contract. The Los Angeles Lakers had also shown interest – the deal with the Mavericks comes as something of a surprise.
Dallas will be competing with Isaiah Hartenstein in the future: The German basketball pro is likely to move from the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder. According to several US media reports, the 26-year-old is about to sign a three-year contract worth $87 million (€81 million) with the title contender from the Western Conference. Basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki is the only German to have signed a deal with a higher salary in the NBA. In terms of annual salary, Hartenstein has the highest-paying German contract in NBA history.
Hartenstein’s OKC with top squad
Hartenstein was a free agent after two years with the Knicks, meaning he can move freely. Last season, the center was one of the top performers in New York who were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, averaging 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds. Due to the salary cap, the Knicks were unable to make an adequate offer to the 2.13 meter tall Hartenstein, who is known for his physicality and aggressiveness in offensive rebounding.
OKC lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the quarterfinals of the last NBA season and finished the regular season in first place in the West. For the coming years, OKC’s young squad is considered one of the best in the NBA, only a little bit of length was missing before the German’s transfer. Hartenstein has played for five NBA teams so far and in Oklahoma he will meet Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who came second in the vote for the league’s most valuable player (MVP) for the 2023/24 season. After Dennis Schröder (2018 to 2020), Hartenstein would be the second German player in the franchise since it moved to Oklahoma in 2008. Previously, the team was based in Seattle as the SuperSonics.
Basketball star Paul George is also moving to the Philadelphia 76ers and is set to receive a four-year contract worth more than $200 million. This was reported by ESPN and “The Athletic,” among others, citing sources. It had previously been announced that the 34-year-old would be leaving the Los Angeles Clippers after five years.
2024-07-01 19:58:00
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