The Mavericks’ call to move on from Klay Thompson was easy to second-guess when it happened. Dallas got nothing back in a trade, then cut bait and let him land with the Miami Heat.
That stung on paper. But two weeks into preseason, the fit looks even less convincing for Thompson than it did for Dallas.
Through four exhibition games, Thompson has struggled to make much of an impact in Miami. He’s averaged 4.3 points while shooting 27 percent from the field and 15 percent from beyond the arc.
The line includes two scoreless outings and a 0-for-6 night from 3-point range against the Orlando Magic last night. Thompson has a reputation for starting slow in preseason, but the larger concern is that his game has become almost entirely tied to whether the jumper is falling.
He isn’t creating much for himself anymore beyond the occasional one-dribble pull-up from a few steps inside the arc.
That reality makes the final stretch of his time in Dallas look even more revealing. Thompson’s last season with the Mavericks came with career lows in scoring and efficiency: 11.7 points per game, 39.3 percent shooting from the field and 38.3 percent from three.
He still had stretches where he helped with floor spacing and brought veteran leadership, but the edge that once made him such a feared shooter wasn’t there as often. His defense has slipped too, and he has shot better than 40 percent from deep for a full season only once since the 2018-19 season.
Dallas could have used the shooting, no question. The Mavericks were one of the league’s worst 3-point teams last season, and they finished at 34.4 percent from beyond the arc, ranked 26th in the NBA, even with Thompson appearing in 69 games. But the bigger issue was that he was never going to be the one move that fixed everything.
The paths had already drifted apart. Thompson wanted to play for a contender, while Dallas had changed course from the team he thought he was joining in the summer of 2024.
The Mavericks traded Luka Doncic, the player Thompson was eager to play with, for Anthony Davis, someone he notably preferred not to play with. Thompson believed he could be the missing piece for another Finals run.
Instead, Dallas missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since Luka’s rookie year.
That’s why this summer made sense for both sides. Thompson wanted a championship chase, and the Mavericks are now retooling around 19-year-old star Cooper Flagg. With that in mind, the buyout looks better by the day, and Dallas’ decision to move on has already aged well.
In Other News...
Mavericks Got Key Players Back But One Concern Still Looks Serious
Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg were back in the lineup for Dallas preseason finale against Atlanta, and the Mavericks at least got a look at some of the offensive upside they hope will matter when the games count. The return of those key pieces gave the night a different feel, even if the result did not, as Dallas fell to the Hawks in a game that served more as a final tune-up than a true measuring stick.
The bigger concern came on the other end, where the defense never really found its footing and left Dusty May with plenty to sort through before the regular season opener. For a team trying to build around its talent and get the rotation settled, the offensive promise is encouraging, but the sluggish defensive showing was a reminder that the Mavericks still have work to do before opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Set Up Their Toughest End Of Roster Decisions
The Mavericks have started trimming the edges of their roster, waiving guards John Poulakidas and Seth Lundy as camp nears its final stretch. Poulakidas had been on a two-way contract, while Lundy came in on a training camp deal, and both departures signal that Dallas is getting closer to sorting out the last few spots on the board.
What remains is the trickier part. The front office still has roster decisions to make involving Dwight Powell, and there is also the question of whether Moussa Cisse needs to be moved to clear room. Those calls will determine how the Mavericks finish shaping the back end of the roster, and they are the ones worth watching now. [Read more 🡒]
Kyrie Irving Still Leaves Mavericks Facing One Huge Opening Night Question
Kyrie Irving is back in the conversation for Dallas as the Mavericks look ahead to the 2026-27 season, and his return could end up shaping everything about their offense. After a disappointing year, the hope inside the organization is that a healthy Irving gives the group the shot creation and late-game juice it lacked for long stretches.
Still, the biggest question hanging over opening night is less about whether Irving is on the roster and more about what version of him shows up after the long recovery from a torn ACL. Shawn Marion recently pointed to the uncertainty around Irving regaining his old form, even while acknowledging the work he has put in during rehab, leaving Dallas with optimism and a fair amount of suspense as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]