The Miami Heat have already made one seismic move this summer, and they may not be done yet.
After landing former Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade, Miami has pushed itself straight into the championship picture. The Heat are also still being linked to LeBron James, and president Pat Riley said the team has already had some conversations about that possibility.
“To be transparent about it, we've had discussions over a week ago, maybe a week before that about it. But right now, I think we're like everybody else. Just waiting to see what he does,” Riley told the media.
James isn’t the only big name on Miami’s radar. The Heat have also gained traction as a possible destination for four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson, with the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reporting that Thompson has become a player of strong interest.
“ 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,” Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson wrote.
One proposed way to make that happen comes from Heavy.com’s Sai Mohan, who laid out a wild three-team deal that would send both Thompson and Kyrie Irving to Miami.
“Heat would acquire: Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson. Magic would acquire: Andrew Wiggins. Mavericks would acquire: Desmond Bane, Nikola Jovic, Dru Smith,” Mohan wrote.
For Miami, moving Wiggins wouldn’t be ideal. But in this scenario, it could also signal that the Heat feel good about their chances of bringing in James as well. If that all came together, the starting five would be loaded.
Either way, the Heat have already put together a huge summer, and a deal like this would only add to it. If Miami keeps stacking moves like this, it could end up with one of the most impressive offseasons the league has ever seen.
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Mavericks Face A Huge Klay Thompson Decision With Real Stakes
The Mavericks offseason maneuvering has put Klay Thompson squarely in the middle of a market that already feels crowded and complicated. With Thompson in the final year of his contract, Dallas is weighing what kind of return makes sense, while the broader landscape has shifted after LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, adding another layer to the trade chatter around teams like Golden State and Miami that have long been tied to Thompson.
Dallas is also keeping its options open beyond Thompson, with veterans P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford available in the right deal as the front office continues to sort through the roster. Kyrie Irving, though, is not part of that conversation, which leaves the Mavericks trying to thread a narrow needle: improve the team, preserve core pieces, and decide how much value they can extract before the market settles. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Cubans Mavericks Fallout Just Took A Surprising New Turn
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His legal fight over the Mavericks new arena plans has already signaled that this is more than a simple post-sale adjustment, and the business side of the relationship could get even messier depending on how the ownership arrangement continues to evolve. For Dallas fans, the bigger question is how much influence Cuban will ultimately retain around the franchise he once ran, and whether the fallout from the sale is still only in its early stages. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Seem Headed For One More Tough Roster Move
The Mavericks have a familiar kind of late-summer problem on their hands: too many useful players and not enough standard roster spots. Dallas is carrying 16 players on standard contracts and still has to get down to 15 by opening night, a squeeze created by the teams recent trades and re-signings that left extra bodies at a few positions.
That means one more move is coming, and the conversation is already circling a few recognizable names. P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin and Daniel Gafford are all in the mix, but Klay Thompson is the one drawing the most attention as the team weighs fit against salary and roster balance. However Dallas handles it, the final cut figures to say plenty about how the front office sees the shape of this group going forward. [Read more 🡒]