Nikola Jovic looked like the cleanest path for the Mavericks if they wanted to send Klay Thompson to Miami, but that door appears to be closing fast.
On paper, the fit was easy to see. Jovic is 23, his salary lines up neatly with Thompson’s expiring deal, and his upside fits a Dallas roster that is retooling around teenage superstar Cooper Flagg.
The Mavericks have also shown a willingness to target players who could use a bigger role or a fresh start, as seen in their trade for Zaccharie Risacher and Jett Howard signing. Jovic seemed to check every box.
But the Heat are not eager to move him.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, "even though the Heat could get creative with a trade offer revolving around 23-year-old forward Nikola Jovic, this doesn't appear to be a scenario Miami wants to see play out." Siegel also said the Heat "covet" Jovic.
That leaves Dallas and Miami with very little room to work unless a third team gets involved. Jovic was the best one-for-one answer for both sides because the money fits and he lines up with Cooper Flagg’s timeline, but Miami does not seem interested in making him available.
The other players who technically work in a straight-up Thompson deal are Bobby Portis and Davion Mitchell, though neither looks especially realistic. Mitchell has become one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, and Portis was just acquired in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Both are viewed as more valuable than Thompson in that kind of swap.
So the situation has narrowed to a simple standoff. Miami wants to keep Jovic.
Dallas would rather buy out Thompson than force a bad trade. That leaves the whole thing stuck unless one side gives in.
The Heat need shooting, and Thompson fits that need as naturally as anyone. For now, though, Dallas is waiting and hoping Miami changes its mind. As things stand, Jovic is off the board.
In Other News...
Dereck Lively II Recovery Carries Big Stakes For The Mavericks Frontcourt
Dereck Lively IIs recovery is becoming one of the more important subplots of the Mavericks offseason as he works back from season-ending foot surgery. Dallas general manager Mike Schmitz said Lively has been putting in the work at the team facility, and the big man has already progressed beyond the walking boot as he continues his rehab. For a frontcourt that has been reshaped with added depth, Livelys status still matters because of the role he was starting to carve out before the injury.
The unresolved part, though, is the timeline. Schmitz stopped short of offering any specific return date, leaving the Mavericks to monitor his progress without a firm answer on when he might be back in full basketball activities. With training camp and a new season drawing closer, Livelys recovery remains a key variable for a team trying to sort out its frontcourt rotation and make sure it has enough size and reliability up front. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Face A Brutal Early Test Before This Roster Can Settle
The NBAs full schedule brought the usual mix of marquee nights and hidden challenges, and for the Mavericks, one of the big takeaways is simply how often they will have to manage fatigue before a rhythm can even fully form. Dallas is among the teams facing the most back-to-back games this season, a reality that can complicate early roster building, rotation decisions and the day-to-day work of keeping players fresh.
For a team trying to settle into a season and stack wins, that kind of calendar pressure matters. Back-to-backs are never just about one game on the schedule, especially when they pile up alongside travel and other taxing stretches, because they can shape how a coaching staff handles rest and how consistently key players are available. The Mavericks do not have the most punishing road map in the league, but they are still one of several teams that will spend a lot of the year navigating it. [Read more 🡒]