Klay Thompson just inked a two-year, $11.5 million deal with the Miami Heat, but the real shocker? He walked away from Dallas, giving up a cool $9.8 million in a buyout to make it happen. After reportedly clearing waivers on Sunday, the five-time All-Star agreed to a contract that includes a player option for the second year and a 15 percent trade kicker. Think about that: almost ten million bucks left on the table from the $17.5 million he was due for the 2026-27 season. That kind of money doesn’t disappear for no reason, does it?
The Dallas Dream That Turned Into a Nightmare
Dallas announced the buyout on Friday, and honestly, it felt like a mercy killing. Thompson’s value around the NBA has completely cratered, and his time with the Mavericks was brutal proof. Midway through last year, he fell right out of the starting rotation. Remember when Jason Kidd promised him a starting spot during the 2024 offseason pitch? Yeah, that didn’t age well. Kidd tried to spin it as a “temporary tactical change” after just seven games on the bench, even putting him back with the first unit for a mid-November loss to the New York Knicks. But let’s be real, he was a reserve again soon enough. The numbers don’t lie: in 69 appearances, Klay averaged a career-low 11.7 points, hitting personal worsts in overall field-goal percentage at 39.3 percent and three-point percentage at 38.3 percent. Oof. That’s just rough.
From Splash Brother to a Heat Gamble
The Golden State Warriors saw this coming, plain and simple. Head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. were pragmatic, not sentimental, when it came to Klay’s usage in 2023-24 and his subsequent free agency. Breaking up the “Splash Brothers” was tough, sure, but they understood he was on a downward trajectory. Missing two full seasons from a torn ACL and a torn Achilles just accelerated the inevitable decline. His first year in Dallas was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to prove the Warriors wrong, but it sparked no renaissance. He averaged just 14 points per game, his lowest output since his rookie season, and his field-goal percentage, 41.2 percent, was another personal worst at the time. The Mavs had hoped for a Ray Allen-like role, a capable three-point specialist, but even Klay’s long-range shot has started to abandon him. When that’s gone, his other flaws, like not being the dogged defender he once was and his inability to score off the dribble, become impossible to ignore. The days of Klay being a big difference-maker on a contender might just be over.
This two-year deal makes him a total low-risk addition for a Heat team that just saw Giannis Antetokounmpo enter the fold this summer. For Klay, this is it. This could be his last shot to show he’s got anything left in the tank. Can he find that spark, even as a role player, or is the career decline now officially irreversible?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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