The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers are interested in Dallas Mavericks veteran Klay Thompson, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
The Mavericks would rather trade Thompson than buy him out so they can get value in return for the future Hall of Famer.
Thompson will make $17.5 million next season in the final year of his contract. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause. The five-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion appeared in 69 games for the Mavericks last season. He averaged 11.7 points per contest while shooting 39.3% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc and 76.6% from the free-throw line.
After spending the first 11 years of his career with the Golden State Warriors, Thompson signed with the Mavericks in the summer of 2024 to play with Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. Thompson’s time with Dončić was short-lived, as Dallas traded Dončić to the Lakers in February 2025 in what is considered the worst trade in NBA history.
The Mavericks missed the playoffs in 2025 and 2026. However, they have a young building block in Cooper Flagg. The Duke product won the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award. He finished the season averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Flagg and Irving will make their debut as a duo next season. Irving missed last season recovering from his left ACL tear. The 2016 NBA champion has fully recovered from the injury.
The 36-year-old Thompson holds career averages of 18.6 points per game in the regular season and 19.2 points per game in the playoffs. He helped the Warriors win championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.
Thompson is averaging 12.9 points per game in a Dallas uniform. He has started 80 out of the 141 games he’s played in with the Mavericks, who hired former University of Michigan head coach Dusty May as their new coach this offseason after parting ways with Jason Kidd.
Thompson’s dad, Mychal Thompson, does radio for the Lakers. Mychal has said many times that he would like to see his son play for the Purple and Gold one day. Only time will tell if it will happen.
The Heat missed the playoffs last season, while the Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
Miami acquired superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks this summer. Los Angeles, meanwhile, completely reshaped its roster around Dončić and Austin Reaves. The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz and signed Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle in free agency.
The Lakers did lose LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton from last season’s team. James is on the Philadelphia 76ers, Smart signed with the Houston Rockets, Kennard joined the Phoenix Suns, Hachimura went to the Los Angeles Clippers and Ayton was traded to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy.
