New Klay Thompson Rumors as Heat, 'Several' NBA Title Contenders Eye Trade, Mavs Contract Buyout

Dallas Mavericks wing Klay Thompson may be on the move again, and one of the teams that missed out on LeBron James is lurking.

As ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday's NBA Today, "I'm told the Miami Heat are among several championship-contending teams that are monitoring Thompson's situation [and] have interest in Thompson potentially via trade or a buyout."

Thompson, 36, appeared in 69 games for the Mavs last season, averaging 11.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game—largely off the bench—while shooting 38.3 percent from three.

In his prime, Thompson was one of the best 3-and-D wings in the sport, providing a complementary backcourt mate to Stephen Curry during the Golden State Warriors' dynasty. The shooting is still there, but his athleticism and defensive impact has naturally waned as he's aged.

Still, a team like the Heat is in desperate need of shooting to provide the star duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo with some spacing. Frankly, the Heat just need some viable options on the perimeter, with Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Simone Fontecchio the current options on the wing and Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson the current best bets to run point.

It's clear the Heat need more shooting and backcourt options, especially as they try to keep pace in a suddenly-loaded Eastern Conference. Thompson wouldn't solve all of their issues, but he'd be a welcome addition.