When Klay Thompson takes the floor in front of the home crowd Wednesday night for the Dallas Mavericks, I’ll be thinking of Jerry Rice.

And when Jimmy Butler takes the court for the Warriors, I’ll be thinking of Jerry Rice.

Thompson was a Rice-like presence when he departed the Warriors. He never seemed quite sure what was expected of him despite a body of work that included four NBA titles. Thompson could still fill it up on occasion but his play had slipped enough to make things awkward. He agreed to come off the bench when asked and averaged 17.9 points per game last season. His play wasn’t poor but his body language was awful.

When it ended, both sides said the right things, but it was clear Thompson needed to leave. He’s averaging 13.8 points in 47 games for Dallas.

Meanwhile, Butler was more of a problem in Miami than Thompson ever was with the Warriors. He reportedly was late or missed meetings and even refused to play. Got himself suspended in a war of wills with Heat president Pat Riley and ended up with the Warriors Feb. 7 as part of a five-team trade.

What does the greatest wide receiver in the history of the NFL have to do with Thompson, Butler and the Warriors?

Nothing directly, but there are parallels in how a change of scenery can positively affect a star player. Thompson was Rice in his last year with the 49ers. Butler is Rice in his first year with the Raiders.

The Rice of 1999 and 2000 had become a No. 2 option to Terrell Owens and failed to break 900 yards receiving both years. The day of his big farewell at Candlestick Park, Owens caught 20 passes for 283 yards in a win over the Chicago Bears, upstaging the then-38-year-old Rice for the last time.

Steve Mariucci and the coaching staff didn’t seem to know what to make of Rice, who had become more temperamental and withdrawn. Roughly akin to how Thompson was comporting himself with the Warriors after recovering from ACL and Achilles surgeries, missing two full seasons and contributing to a fourth NBA title.

When Rice went to the Raiders, Tim Brown was an established star, but there weren’t any issues with Rice terms of attitude and outlook. He was challenged on a daily basis by coach Jon Gruden, who moved him from flanker to split end and was constantly in Rice’s ear, reminding him of his status among the all-time greats while at the time pushing for more.

In Brown, Rice found a friend and golfing buddy, two veteran receivers whose perfectionist nature was represented not only on the field but also in coming to work looking immaculate in terms of dress and style.

A change of scenery brightened the outlook of Jerry Rice when he went to the Raiders after leaving the 49ers. Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group

It was like walking on eggshells when approaching Rice in his last games with the 49ers, yet after getting settled in Oakland he was more calm, approachable and at ease in his surroundings.

Likewise, whatever Butler’s problems were in Miami, they don’t appear through two games to have followed him to the Warriors. He’s played a key role in road wins over Chicago and Milwaukee, averaging 22.5 points and getting to the foul line enough to give the Warriors something they’ve seldom been able to do consistently when the Splash Brothers were spending so much time on the perimeter.

Coach Steve Kerr called Butler a “lion” and a “force.” First impression is he’s a no-nonsense veteran with a new lease on life and no reason to regret how he exited Miami when it landed him in basketball nirvana with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

Why the turnaround? A two-year, $121 million extension didn’t hurt. Just as big for Butler is the challenge after six years and 316 games in Miami of proving he can blend with Curry and Green the same way Rice did with Brown and Rich Gannon and making Pro Bowls at ages 39 and 40.

“There’s so much more space out there on the floor I can do what I do best,” Butler said after his Warriors debut. “The game is very, very, very simple here and they’re looking to get me going. I’ve just got to do my job, get the ball in the basket or get to the free throw line.”

As for Thompson, he appears to have shed some of the reticence that marked his last season with the Warriors. He’s assumed a leadership role and was front-and-center after the shocking trade of Luka Dončić to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.

“I signed here and so did everyone else who had an opportunity to for a reason,” Thompson told reporters. “That’s because we believe in the opportunities ahead of us and that’s the ability to win. It’s not our job to get deflated because people are upset.”

Professional athletes talk a lot about “respect,” which in most cases manifests itself in the size of their direct deposit.

But being needed and wanted counts for more than you’d think. It always did with Rice, and it’s the same with Thompson and Butler.

It’s why they both moved on and will be on opposite sides Wednesday night.

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Only the most fanatical of the fan base is envisioning the Warriors at 27-26 winning a fifth NBA title. But disconnecting with Thompson in the offseason and the better-late-than-never acquisition of Butler has improved chemistry, added a complementary scoring option to Curry and at least brought legitimate hope of climbing to a respectable playoff seeding.

And if Curry and Green are enhanced by Butler’s presence as much as it appears, the Warriors might even win a round or two when the postseason arrives, sort of like Rice’s last hurrah with the Raiders.