The Lakers may have a cleaner route than the Heat if they want Klay Thompson, but it comes down to whether Rob Pelinka is willing to act before the buyout market ever comes into play.
A trade framework outlined by BasketNews gives Los Angeles a way to jump ahead of Miami by going straight to the Dallas Mavericks with a real offer. Instead of waiting for Thompson to shake loose, the Lakers could build a package that gives Dallas something tangible and puts them in position to land the four-time NBA champion.
Miami, at least for now, sounds like a team willing to wait. Heat insider Ethan Skolnick reported that the club’s interest depends on Thompson becoming an unrestricted free agent through a buyout.
That’s a risky bet, especially with Dallas not entertaining that route. Per ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Mavericks have no interest in buying out Thompson’s contract and want draft assets or young players in return.
NBA insider Marc Stein has also reported that Miami is among the teams most eager to get Thompson, but only if he reaches free agency and not via trade.
That hesitation could open the door for Los Angeles.
BasketNews laid out a simple structure for a direct deal: the Lakers would get Klay Thompson, while the Mavericks would receive Jarred Vanderbilt and a 2031 Wizards second-round pick. Vanderbilt’s $12.4 million salary helps the Lakers get to Thompson’s $17.46 million under standard salary-matching rules, and the pick gives Dallas an asset instead of watching Thompson leave for nothing through a buyout.
There’s also a roster wrinkle that makes the proposed structure cleaner. Dallas already has 16 standard contracts, which is one over the regular-season limit, so taking back multiple players would only make the situation more complicated.
Thompson’s production last season still looks usable in the right role. He averaged 11.7 points while shooting 38.3 percent from three on 7.6 attempts per game.
That kind of shooting would fit next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, giving the Lakers the floor spacing they need. It also explains why this pursuit keeps hanging around instead of fading away.
Thompson has said he wants another chance at a championship run, and his father, Mychal Thompson, was a two-time Lakers champion. If Los Angeles decides to make the move now instead of waiting for a buyout that may never happen, it could shut Miami out before training camp opens.
In Other News...
Mavericks May Not Keep This Young Shooter For Long
John Poulakidas earned another look from Dallas after finishing last season with a strong shooting stretch, and the Mavericks rewarded him with a two-way contract for another year. The move came as the team shuffled the back end of its roster, matching an offer sheet for Moussa Cisse and waiving Tyler Smith to create space for other two-way options.
Poulakidas is expected to suit up for Dallas this season, giving the Mavericks a young perimeter shooter worth watching as they sort through their development pieces. Still, his long-term future may not be settled in Texas, with EuroHoops.net reporting that Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are among the clubs keeping tabs on him for next year. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Still Hold The Key To Klay Thompsons Uncertain Next Move
Klay Thompsons status is still one of the more interesting loose ends around the Mavericks roster picture, and it has started to draw attention well beyond Dallas. Miami has shown interest in the veteran shooter, with the Heat still looking for proven perimeter help to fit alongside a roster built around Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
For Dallas, the next step remains tied to how it handles Thompsons contract, since the team is weighing whether to move him or go another route if no trade materializes. If he ends up in the buyout market, Miami would have a path to make a run at him using its midlevel exception, giving Thompson a potential landing spot while the Mavericks sort out what comes next. [Read more 🡒]