Klay Thompson Trade Talks Heating Up: Mavericks Would Rather Move Him Than Buy Him Out
Klay Thompson’s second act in Dallas might be over almost as fast as it started.
According to NBC Sports and multiple other outlets, the Dallas Mavericks would strongly prefer to trade Thompson rather than buy him out. That is a shift from earlier this month, when there was speculation that Dallas might just cut ties with the 36-year-old shooting guard and let him choose his next team.
Instead, the Mavericks are actively working the phones. Along with Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington, Thompson is being described as one of the most available veteran assets on Nico Harrison’s roster.
This makes sense from a Dallas perspective. Thompson has one year and $16 million left on the two-year deal he signed with the Mavericks in 2024. That is real money. If Dallas can turn that expiring contract into a young player, a pick, or even just cap flexibility down the road, it is a smart move.
But finding a trade partner is not going to be easy.
Thompson is not the shooter he used to be. He shot 38 percent from three last year, which is fine but below his career norms. He is a defensive liability at this stage. And his contract, while expiring, is not exactly small change for a team looking for role player production.
The teams that make sense as landing spots all have one thing in common: they are legitimate contenders looking for veteran shooting off the bench.
The Denver Nuggets have been mentioned in reports. Adding Thompson would give Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray a legit spacing threat off the bench, and Denver has the traded-player exception from the Michael Porter Jr. deal to absorb Thompson’s contract without giving up much.
The Los Angeles Clippers have also been floated. Kawhi Leonard’s health remains uncertain, and Thompson would be a nice depth piece behind him. But the Clippers already have James Harden and Bogdan Bogdanovic in the guard rotation, and adding Thompson would clog the depth chart.
The Miami Heat, now with Giannis Antetokounmpo (and possibly LeBron James), could absolutely use a Thompson-type. Erik Spoelstra loves veteran shooters who know their role. But the Heat cap sheet is a mess after the Giannis trade, and finding the money for Thompson would require another creative accounting move.
The wild card is a return to Golden State. Steve Kerr publicly said this spring that he would love to have Klay back in some capacity, and Draymond Green has been trying to recruit him. But the Warriors do not have the cap room, and Dallas is not doing them a favor by facilitating a homecoming.
The bottom line is Thompson is probably getting moved before the season starts. His NBA legacy is secure. He is a four-time NBA champion, a five-time All-Star, and the best shooter in modern history not named Steph Curry. But the Dallas experiment did not work, and both sides know it.
Where he lands is going to be one of the most watched storylines of the last two weeks of the summer.
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.
