Klay Thompson’s next stop is reportedly Miami, not a return to the Bay.
The former Golden State Warriors guard is expected to join the Heat after the Dallas Mavericks bought him out of his contract on Friday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Dallas announced the buyout just after midday, and for a brief stretch, some Warriors fans could dream about a reunion. That window closed eight minutes later when Charania reported Thompson was headed to South Beach, citing anonymous sources.
Thompson landed in Dallas in the 2024 offseason through a sign-and-trade after deciding he wanted a new start away from the franchise he spent 11 seasons with. The Mavericks were coming off an NBA Finals run that ended in a five-game loss to the Boston Celtics, with Luka Doncic still just 24 years old. But by the middle of the season, Dallas had blown up its roster, sending Doncic to the Lakers in one of the most stunning trades in NBA history.
On the floor, Thompson never quite became the piece Dallas was hoping for. His shot-making had already started to fade late in his Golden State run, and that trend continued in Dallas. Even with high-profile teammates, including a possible future star in first overall pick Cooper Flagg, he never settled in as the kind of complementary shooter the Mavericks had envisioned.
The buyout chatter had been building throughout the offseason, with Miami emerging as the leading destination in recent days. Before the deal, Thompson was set to make more than $17 million this season, according to Spotrac.
For Warriors fans holding out hope for one last Splash Brothers reunion, the wait goes on. Thompson is 36 now, and the number of chances left for that kind of homecoming is getting smaller.
In Other News...
Warriors Jokic Dream Suddenly Feels Less Impossible
The Nuggets recent move with Peyton Watson did more than reshape their roster for the moment, it reopened a long-running conversation about how Denver plans to build around Nikola Jokic going forward. Anytime a franchise with a generational star makes a cost-saving or future-focused deal, the ripple effects are immediate, and in this case they have only added fuel to the idea that Jokics situation is worth watching beyond this season.
George Karl added another layer by questioning whether Denver is the kind of organization that can fully support a player of Jokics stature over the long haul. For Warriors fans, that matters because the next offseason keeps coming into view as a possible inflection point, with talk of Jokic eventually reaching free agency and the notion of him in Golden State no longer sounding quite as far-fetched as it once did. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Just Raised The Stakes With Gui Santos
Gui Santos is staying with Golden State for the next step of his development, a choice that says plenty about how seriously the Warriors are taking his place in their plans. Instead of leaving for two upcoming World Cup qualifiers with Brazil, Santos and the organization are putting a premium on training camp and the kind of season prep that can help a young player turn a late-year surge into a real rotation spot.
That matters because Santos showed enough down the stretch last season to get the Warriors attention, and now the challenge is translating that momentum into a larger role in a crowded roster. Golden State has veteran experience and fresh additions in the mix, but Santos decision to stay put suggests the team sees a path for him to be more than a fringe contributor if he keeps building on what he flashed before. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Suddenly Have Two Intriguing Young Options For Open Roster Spots
The Warriors search for depth at the bottom of the roster is starting to take shape, and it could get a little more interesting in the coming days. Golden State is reportedly planning to bring former Philadelphia 76ers wing Dalen Terry into camp on a training camp contract, giving the team another look at a young player while it sorts through the final spots on the roster. With two main openings still available, the front office appears willing to keep one eye on veteran stability and another on development.
There may also be a fresh opportunity to add more youth to the mix. A five-team trade involving the Washington Wizards has put Cam Whitmore and Julian Reese into the conversation as possible camp candidates, and both would fit the kind of low-risk, upside swing the Warriors have shown interest in before. For a team trying to balance immediate needs with long-term flexibility, those open roster spots could wind up being more competitive than they looked a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]