The Mavericks’ offseason has already turned into a waiting game, and Klay Thompson is suddenly sitting right in the middle of it.
Dallas is still sorting out its direction under new leadership after former general manager Nico Harrison was fired in the middle of last season. In the meantime, the team has reportedly opened the door on several players in trade talks, and Thompson has surfaced as a name to watch as blockbuster deals keep stacking up across the league.
There’s also a practical wrinkle here: money. Blue Man Hoops’ Peter O’Keefe pointed out that Thompson’s next season is set to pay him $17.5 million, which could make finding a landing spot more complicated.
As O’Keefe wrote, “Thompson should be angling for a trade to a desirable destination rather than a buyout, albeit he holds less control in the former scenario. The complicated aspect is the 4x NBA champion is still set to make $17.5 million next season, and there might not be too many teams eager on him at that price point,”
Miami has already been connected to Thompson, and the Heat’s interest appears to be real. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that “Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson, a five-time All Star and the fourth-most prolific three-point shooter in NBA history, has emerged as a player of strong interest to the Miami Heat, multiple sources said in recent days. The Heat has interest in adding Thompson whether LeBron James joins the Heat or not, a source said,”
Sports Illustrated’s Austin Veazey took that idea a step further and laid out a three-team deal that would send Thompson to Miami, Jordan Poole to Dallas, and involve the New Orleans Pelicans as well.
In Veazey’s proposal, Dallas would receive Jordan Poole, a 2027 second-round pick via Houston from New Orleans, a 2030 second-round pick from New Orleans, and a 2031 second-round pick via Toronto from New Orleans. Miami would get Thompson. New Orleans would land Daniel Gafford, Nikola Jovic, and a 2029 first-round pick swap from Miami.
For Miami, it would be a swing at a player it has reportedly been targeting while adding help on the wing. For Dallas, it would mean bringing in Poole to pair with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving in the backcourt. And for New Orleans, the return would come in the form of multiple assets to help reshape the roster.
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