Klay Thompson is on the market. Again. And the question every contender has to answer is whether it is worth the trouble.
Reports out of Dallas indicate the Mavericks are willing to move Thompson if the right offer comes along. He signed with Dallas last summer with the hope of pairing his shooting with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in a championship push. Then the Luka trade to the Lakers changed everything.
The Mavericks are now a rebuilding team without their franchise cornerstone. Kyrie Irving is still there, but Dallas is in a totally different phase than the one Thompson signed up for. Making him available is the natural next step.
The question is what he actually is at this point in his career. Thompson turned 35 this offseason. He is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. He is also a step slower on defense than he used to be and does not create his own shot the way he did in his prime.
The teams that make sense are obvious. Any contender that needs shooting and can absorb his contract is in play. That list starts with the Heat if they land LeBron, the Warriors if they want to bring him home, and the Celtics if they think one more shooter puts them back on top.
Golden State is the emotional pick. Bringing Thompson back to the Warriors for a farewell run would be the kind of story the league would eat up. The problem is fit. The Warriors already have Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Adding another aging veteran might not be what they need.
The Heat make more sense. Miami has spent the summer swinging huge trades, and adding Thompson to a lineup with Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and potentially LeBron would give them one of the best shooters in the league at the exact position they need one.
The Celtics are always a wild card. Boston has been quiet this summer. They still have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Adding a proven playoff shooter like Thompson gives them another dimension.
The rest of the potential landing spots include the Bucks (post-Giannis, but they still need shooting), the Knicks (they always seem to be in on these guys) and the 76ers (though they are focused on LeBron).
For Thompson, the personal side matters. He does not need money at this point in his career. He needs a team that gives him a real shot at another title. That is the only reason to keep playing.
The Warriors’ championship run in 2022 was Thompson’s fourth title. He has nothing left to prove financially or reputationally. He is playing for legacy now.
The Mavericks would prefer to get real value back if they move him. The problem is that Thompson’s contract is worth more than his current on-court production. That is going to limit the return.
Any deal is likely going to look more like a salary-matching exchange than a real trade of assets. Dallas gets younger and cheaper. The contender gets a shooter for their playoff push.
The next couple of weeks are going to be interesting. If the LeBron sweepstakes settle down, the Klay conversation is going to get louder. He is not going to be a Maverick when the season starts. The only question is which contender wants him most.
Splash Brother, take three.
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.
