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Lakers fans get first look at Klay Thompson starting next to Luka Doncic originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been pushing hard to trade for Jonathan Kuminga since late June, but they haven't been able to finalize a deal. Right now, a sign-and-trade involving the Atlanta Hawks seems like the only realistic option.
With those talks stalling, Klay Thompson’s name is now linked to potential trade speculation away from the Dallas Mavericks this offseason.
ESPN NBA reporter Evan Sidery took things a step further on his X handle. He posted a hypothetical starting lineup showing what the Lakers would look like if they managed to land both players: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Klay Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga, and Walker Kessler.
The post gave fans their first real visual of Thompson playing right alongside Doncic in a newly retooled Lakers backcourt. And on paper, the fit makes sense for what the Lakers need around Doncic.
Thompson is still one of the best pure shooters out there, with 2899 career triples and a lethal 40.9% average from deep. Pairing that kind of spacing with Luka Doncic, who averaged 33.5 points and 8.3 assists last season, would be a blockbuster option for Los Angeles.
If the lineup also includes Kuminga’s 12.5 points per game and Kessler protecting the rim, this looks like a pretty scary starting five on paper. But the irony here is hard for fans to overlook.
Back in the 2024 offseason, Thompson turned down a much bigger four-year, $80 million offer from the Lakers just so he could chase a championship next to Doncic in Dallas.
Fast forward to today, the Slovenian star is running the show in Los Angeles and Thompson is entering the final year of his three-year contract he signed with Dallas. If a trade or buyout lands him in LA, the two superstars will finally share the court.
But fans don't seem happy to see the hypothetical starting five.
One fan wrote, "F Klay Thompson. He can't be a starter. His golden days are over and done."
Another added, "I don't think the Lakers want Klay. He's only a shooter now, which he's not even elite at anymore."
A third noted, "That would be one of the worse defensive starting fives in the league if not the worst."
The fourth one asked, "Why on earth would Klay be starting?"
A random X user penned, "Y'all are not getting Klay — the Mavs have no motivation to buy him out. They are under the second apron."
The Lakers have virtually zero cap space left, sitting at a negative $35.9 million and tracking just over the luxury tax line by -$469,322. While they hold over $20.7 million in space before hitting the second apron, that cushion is currently unusable for direct signings.
Because the Lakers are strictly hard-capped at the first apron with only $8.11 million in actual spending flexibility, the front office cannot absorb Thompson's $17.46 million contract without sending out matching player salaries to clear the necessary cap room.
But the biggest problem is that fans are not excited to see him in purple and gold. So, there is very little chance that the Lakers will try to pair Thompson next to Doncic.
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