In a matter of minutes, Klay Thompson has gone from negotiating a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks to taking his talents to the Eastern Conference.
On Friday afternoon, NBA insiders reported that Thompson agreed to a buyout with the Mavericks. He was on a three-year, $50 million deal with Dallas, but the front office was willing to move on from the All-Star swingman.
“Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization,” said Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri. “We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”
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So where is Thompson heading next? According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the future Hall of Famer is expected to sign with the Miami Heat.
Thompson will finalize a contract with the Heat once he clears waivers. They’ve been in the market for a shooter ever since they acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Although he’s no longer considered an elite player, Thompson averaged 11.7 points per game last season on 38.3% shooting from beyond the arc.
Perfect fit for the Miami Heat.
Earlier this offseason, the Heat stressed the importance of surrounding Antetokounmpo with players who are usually healthy.
“That’s the first thing I look at,” Heat president Pat Riley said. “That’s why I love Bam [Adebayo]. You can count on him every night. Looking at [a player’s] injury history and all of that stuff comes into play. You look at guys that don’t have injury histories. That comes into account.”
Well, Thompson has appeared in 934 games since going pro in 2011. Over the last two seasons alone, he has logged 141 games played. That’s not bad at all for an aging guard.
