Klay Thompson’s latest stop is official, and the Miami Heat wasted no time rolling out the welcome mat.
After Thompson cleared waivers, the former Warriors guard signed with Miami, giving the Heat another proven name for a team that’s still chasing its first NBA title since 2013. And if you wanted to know how Pat Riley feels about the move, he made it pretty clear.
“Klay is one of the most iconic players to ever suit up in the NBA. A four-time battle-tested World Champion who will fit perfectly into his role as an all-around player at both ends of the court.
We all talk about his shooting skill, but there is so much more he brings to the game. We are blessed that Klay chose the Heat in our quest to challenge for championships.”
That’s classic Riley: direct, glowing, and aimed squarely at the championship standard Miami always talks about. Thompson arrives with the kind of résumé that fits that pitch. He’s a four-time champion with Golden State, and now he’s moving on after a brief stint in Dallas.
The Heat have been one of the NBA’s most successful teams since 2000, with only three franchises winning more titles in that span: the Spurs and Warriors with four apiece, and the Lakers with six. But Miami’s current title drought is the longest of that group, with its last championship coming in 2013.
Miami also knows how close it has come in recent years. Jimmy Butler III helped push the Heat to the NBA Finals as an No. 8 seed in 2023, but that run ended in five games against the Denver Nuggets, led by three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic.
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Smiths path is not as simple as showing up and claiming a spot, though. The real question is whether he can turn a strong summer into an argument for one of the teams two-way openings, and those chances can shift quickly depending on how Golden State sorts out other young guards such as LJ Cryer. There is a roster battle building here, and Smith is stepping into it at the right time, with enough familiarity and recent production to make the next few weeks matter. [Read more 🡒]