The Klay Thompson conversation keeps hanging around, and for good reason: Dallas looks increasingly unlikely to keep a 36-year-old veteran in the middle of a rebuild. With the Mavericks shifting toward their younger players, Thompson’s future has become one of the more intriguing pieces still on the board, especially with free agency long past its early rush.
A trade, not a buyout, appears to be the more realistic path. Dallas has reportedly shown hesitation about buying out the final $17.4 million on Thompson’s deal, which leaves the door open for a multi-team arrangement. The Miami Heat have been linked most strongly to Thompson among the interested clubs, even with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers also mentioned as possible landing spots.
That’s where a three-team framework comes in. In the proposed deal, the Mavericks would get Jordan Poole, while the New Orleans Pelicans would receive Nikola Jovic and Caleb Martin. The idea is built around moving Poole’s $34.0 million expiring contract to New Orleans, which could make the math work for everyone involved.
For Dallas, the numbers are manageable. The Mavericks would be sending out about $27.4 million and taking back an extra $6.6 million, which would still keep them just below the $201 million tax line. In that sense, the deal would let them turn Thompson into a younger guard without creating major cap trouble.
Poole is not the same player who helped Golden State during its 2022 championship run, but he still has the ability to get hot and score in volume. Last season, he averaged 13.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 37.2% from the field and 33.3% from three. He’s not likely to be Dallas’ lead option, but he would give them rotation minutes and a low-risk swing on a player on an expiring contract.
Miami’s side is more straightforward. The Heat have also been in discussions with DeMar DeRozan and Bradley Beal, but reports say Thompson has been a priority. If they land him, they get the kind of veteran shooter they’ve been chasing for the better part of a month.
Thompson’s appeal is obvious. He brings championship experience, leadership, and a reputation as one of the league’s most dangerous perimeter threats.
He averaged 11.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game last season while shooting 39.3% from the field and 38.3% from three. In a lineup with dominant post players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, that kind of spacing matters.
The Heat would also be trying to build out their draft capital, and the addition of a first-round pick to start rebuilding Miami’s war chest would make the deal more attractive from their perspective.
New Orleans, meanwhile, would be the team absorbing Poole’s contract and collecting the younger pieces. Jovic has been included in most Thompson-to-Miami ideas because of his $16.2 million contract, and in this version he ends up with a fresh start. He averaged 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds last season while shooting 36.6% from the field, and he has clearly slipped out of favor with Miami’s coaching staff.
That move could suit him. A young Pelicans team would give him a better runway, even if a starting job isn’t immediate.
Caleb Martin would also come in as a useful two-way veteran. He averaged 3.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.7 steals last season, but his impact goes beyond the box score.
He could stabilize New Orleans’ bench, even if Herb Jones complicates his minutes.
Still, there’s a bigger question hanging over Miami: is Thompson actually the right fit? The Heat’s roster now centers on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, and after Tyler Herro’s departure, the backcourt looks thin. Davion Mitchell has shown a willingness to grow into a bigger role, but the more pressing need may be playmaking, not another shooter.
Miami already has Tim Hardaway Jr., Bobby Portis, Andrew Wiggins, and Mitchell as capable floor-spacers. The issue is that only Mitchell, Adebayo, and Antetokounmpo are carrying the playmaking load. That’s why the argument can be made that the Heat would be better off chasing a point guard than making Thompson their next move.
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