Klay Thompson’s two-year run with the Dallas Mavericks? Officially done, dusted, gone. The five-time All-Star agreed to a buyout on his $17.5 million salary, and now he’s expected to sign a two-year, $13 million deal with the Miami Heat. This exit from what was supposed to be a fresh start is wild.
The Lakers Snub and That Brutal AD Twist
Here’s the wild part: Thompson had a real chance to team up with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024. His reps talked deals, and it made sense! He’s got childhood ties to LA, still owns a home there. But Klay passed! Why? A source said he had concerns about Anthony Davis’s availability. Let that sink in. He actively avoided the Lakers because of AD’s injury history. Instead, he chose Dallas, signing a three-year, $50 million deal as part of a six-team trade, linking up with a Mavericks squad that was fresh off an NBA Finals appearance. Seems like a solid plan at the time, right?
Mavericks Meltdown: The Doncic Domino Effect
Seven months later, fate had a cruel joke. Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers for… Anthony Davis. Seriously, you can’t write this stuff! Thompson, who tried to avoid AD, landed on the exact same roster as the player whose health was his initial concern. The irony is absolutely stinging; what Klay feared became his harsh reality in Dallas. AD appeared in just 20 games for the Mavs before moving on, and that monster Doncic trade completely gutted the roster Thompson signed up for. What a gut punch! Dallas missed the playoffs in both of his seasons there, a direct and painful consequence. Mavs President of Basketball Operations, Masai Ujiri, even released a statement calling Klay “one of the great players and competitors.” Grateful for what, exactly? Those two brutal, playoff-less seasons where Klay averaged a modest 12.9 points on 40.3% shooting across 141 games? Yeah, not what a five-time All-Star hopes for.
Miami’s Big Bet: Can Klay Rewrite His Story?
So, what happens now that the Dallas chapter is closed? The Mavericks officially announced the buyout on Friday, setting Thompson free. ESPN’s Shams Charania reports he still has to clear the 48-hour NBA waiver wire, then it’s officially off to South Beach. Miami made landing Thompson a top priority all summer, reportedly overlooking other key targets just to get their guy. They won that battle, absolutely, but the stakes are incredibly high. Can Klay help the Heat reach the playoffs next season, bringing his veteran presence and shooting touch to a new squad? That’s the burning question on everyone’s mind. If this move to Miami doesn’t pan out and deliver postseason success, that initial decision to avoid the Lakers, all because of an Anthony Davis concern that somehow became his own personal problem anyway, is going to haunt Klay Thompson for a very, very long time. The pressure is on, Miami, to make this work.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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