Klay Thompson Set to Sign With Miami Heat After Mavericks Buyout: A Perfect Landing Spot?
Klay Thompson is heading to Miami. Reports say the four time champion is set to sign with the Heat after clearing waivers following his contract buyout from the Dallas Mavericks. He is 36, he can still shoot, and he just landed on a team that knows how to use him.
The Dallas fit never worked. Klay went to the Mavericks looking for a third act next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and the roster around him kept changing. When Luka got traded and the whole plan shifted, Klay became a $17.5 million bench shooter without a role. The buyout was inevitable.
Miami is a much better landing. Erik Spoelstra runs the best defensive and cutting offense in the league at using off ball movement to get shooters clean looks. That is exactly what Klay needs at this stage of his career. He does not have to create shots. He needs Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins to draw defenders and pass him the ball.
The numbers say Klay is not what he was. He averaged 11.7 points per game last season. He shot 38.3 percent from three, which is still valuable but no longer elite. He hit just 41.8 percent inside the arc, which is a warning sign. He is not the two way star he was in Golden State. He is a spot up shooter with playoff experience and pedigree.
Here is the fair read. Klay Thompson on a minimum or low mid level deal is a smart bet for any contender. He is going to hit 40 percent of his threes on a good roster. He is going to hit playoff shots. He is going to bring championship gravity to a young locker room. That is worth the money by itself.
Miami just added Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade earlier this offseason. Klay coming in gives them a proven floor spacer who can play off any star. The Heat now have a plausible path to Eastern Conference finals contention with a healthy Bam and a happy Klay.
The Warriors dynasty era is officially in its retirement phase. Steph Curry re-upped in Golden State. Draymond Green stayed. Klay is now a Miami Heat. The last chapter of the greatest shooting duo in NBA history is going to end with Klay taking off screens for Bam Adebayo. That is a story that will hit hard when it happens on national TV.
Bet on Klay to matter in April. He always does.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
