Major Aussie trade sees NBA dynasty crumble

An NBA dynasty is now officially over.

Klay Thompson, one half of Golden State’s “Splash Brothers”, who was crucial in delivering the Warriors four NBA championships alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, has been traded, bringing an end to a hugely successful run that changed the league.

As a result a third Australian in the space of two weeks has been moved, with Sydney’s Josh Green traded to the Charlotte Hornets as part of the Dallas Mavericks play for the All Star in a multi-team deal.

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Green, 23, joins Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddey as the Aussies moved.

He signed a three-year, $41 million rookie contract extension with Dallas last October and will collect $12.6 million next season from the Hornets.

It will be a culture shock for Green as he leaves a Western Conference contender in the Mavericks to a team that finished third-last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 21 wins and 61 losses.

However, all Australians will get the opportunity to develop and grow with time on court at their new homes.

ESPN and The Athletic first reported the multi-team agreement which, as currently constructed, will be executed as the sign-and-trade of a three-year, $75 million contract involving the Warriors, Mavericks and Hornets.

Thompson is sixth on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers made list with 2,481, behind Reggie Miller (2,560), Damian Lillard (2,607), James Harden (2,940), Ray Allen (2,973) and Thompson’s now-former “Splash Brother”, Curry, and his 3,747 career makes from beyond the arc.

There were indications last season that Thompson and the Warriors might be headed toward a breakup.

Thompson came off the bench 14 times — not much in the grand scheme of things considering he played 77 games, but those were his first appearances as a reserve since his rookie season of 2011-12. He shot 38.7 percent from 3-point range, the second-worst of his career. He averaged 17.9 points, the third-lowest of his career. He wasn’t always in the finishing lineup and the season — and his Warriors career — ended with a 0-for-10 shooting performance against Sacramento in a play-in tournament loss.

Thompson — a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection who missed two entire seasons with injuries — took a long look around the court after that game, soaking in the scene just in case it would be his final time playing with the Warriors. Turns out, it was. And now he’ll join a Dallas team that just went to the NBA Finals as a shooter brought in to help Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

The Hornets gave up two second-round draft picks for Green as part of the deal. The 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Green has spent all four of his NBA seasons with the Mavericks and averaged 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists this past season.

In other news, Tyrese Maxey, Derrick White, Isaiah Hartenstein, Tobias Harris, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins — are about to sign deals worth a combined $849 million.

All were confirmed to the AP by people with knowledge of the negotiations for the players involved.

Maxey, an All-Star this past season, agreed in principle to a five-year, $306 million extension that keeps him with the Philadelphia 76ers and set to play alongside Joel Embiid and soon-to-be-signed Paul George.

The 76ers, like the rest of the league, are chasing the Boston Celtics, who made a big move by agreeing with guard Derrick White on a four-year extension worth around $187 million. White averaged 15.2 points and 5.2 assists for the NBA champions this past season.

Hartenstein, a centre coming off a breakout year, is leaving New York for Oklahoma City on a $130 million, three-year deal that includes an option. The Thunder — the No.1 seed in the Western Conference this past season — also finalised extensions with Joe ($72 million) and Wiggins ($70 million).

And Harris is going to Detroit on a two-year deal worth $78 million, a move first reported by ESPN and one that will give the young Pistons an experienced veteran in the room as they continue their rebuild under newly hired coach J.B. Bickerstaff.