Klay Thompson’s next move is starting to look a lot more interesting than a routine veteran shuffle.
The Mavericks have not found a trade partner for Thompson, he is in the final year of his Dallas contract, and the Lakers’ interest keeps hanging around in the background. That alone would make this worth watching. Add in Thompson’s family history in Los Angeles, and the possibility starts to feel more real.
There’s also the basketball case, and it comes from a short but telling stretch with Luka Doncic. Thompson signed with Dallas in 2024 free agency after turning down a larger Lakers offer, choosing to chase a title alongside Doncic.
The partnership never got the chance to breathe for long. Doncic was traded to Los Angeles months later, and Thompson has spent the last two seasons on a Mavericks team that missed the playoffs both years.
His numbers in Dallas have been solid, if not spectacular. Over those two seasons, Thompson has averaged 12.9 points per game while shooting 38.7 percent from three.
But when you isolate the 21 games he shared with Doncic before the trade, the picture sharpens. In that span, Thompson averaged 14.9 points and shot 40.6 percent from deep.
It’s a small sample, but it’s enough to keep the idea alive that the fit could still work if he landed with the Lakers.
Dallas is also in a spot where a move may be unavoidable. The team currently has 16 players on standard contracts, so a corresponding roster move would be needed no matter what happens with Thompson.
Christian Clark of The Athletic reported that Dallas has been shopping Thompson without finding a taker. “It remains unclear if Klay Thompson will be back in Dallas for a third year,” Clark wrote. “My understanding is that Thompson would welcome a return to Los Angeles,” he added, noting that Thompson still owns a home in the area.
Miami is in the mix too, though in a different way. An anonymous scout reportedly advised the Heat against signing Thompson, saying DeMar DeRozan would be the better value for a team also looking for shooting around Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Heat have been waiting on Dallas to possibly reach a buyout, rather than relying on a trade that may never materialize.
Their options are limited by the roster, too. Only a handful of Miami players could realistically match Thompson’s salary in a one-for-one deal, which makes patience the more practical route.
The Lakers, meanwhile, have already gotten one discouraging update this offseason. Dallas insiders have indicated the Mavericks would rather trade Thompson than let him leave for nothing.
Even so, Los Angeles has not disappeared from the conversation. Thompson would welcome a return, and his time in the area - he spent part of his childhood there and still owns a home - keeps the door open.
Nothing is settled, and Dallas still controls the timeline. But with the numbers from Thompson’s brief run next to Doncic and interest from two contenders, this is no ordinary training-camp watch item.
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