New Klay Thompson Rumors on Trade Landing Spots and Mavs Future amid Heat Buzz

Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Klay Thompson's future with the team remains murky as his team continues to explore the possibility of a trade, per Christian Clark of the Athletic, who cited the Miami Heat as a potential landing spot.

"At this point, it remains unclear if Klay Thompson — the Mavericks' leading 3-point shooter in each of the past two seasons — will be back in Dallas for a third year. The Mavericks have explored his trade market but have yet to find a deal, multiple sources with rival teams told The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss any potential negotiations. Thompson is owed $17.5 million this season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027.

"My understanding is that Thompson would welcome a return to Los Angeles, where he spent part of his childhood and still owns a home. The Miami Heat are another team frequently mentioned in NBA circles as a potential landing spot for the future Hall of Famer."

The 36-year-old Thompson, a five-time All-Star who won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors, averaged 11.7 points on 39.3 percent shooting (38.3 percent from three) in 69 games (eight starts) last season (21.7 minutes per contest).

Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported on July 30 that Miami is interested in Thompson but through a potential buyout. That makes plenty of sense, of course. For starters, the Heat don't have to give up any assets, and they'd avoid paying Thompson's $17.5 million salary.

Chiang provided more details.

"The cleaner path is for the Mavericks to eventually agree to a buyout with Thompson, with Thompson hypothetically giving up $7 million of his current salary to become a free agent. The Heat can then make up the difference on the money Thompson gave up by using the rest of its midlevel exception to offer him a $7 million salary for this upcoming season."

Miami is rebuilding its team around the duo of Bam Adebayo and ex-Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and could use more outside shooting help.

Although Thompson's game has hit a decline, specifically last season, he could certainly be an asset in Miami for a Heat team that needs more help beyond the arc. Of note, four of its top seven three-point shooters last year (by percentage) are no longer on the team.

So we'll see if anything comes to fruition, but it appears that Thompson's days in Dallas could be ending soon. If a trade doesn't materialize, a buyout certainly could, leaving Thompson with options regarding his next NBA chapter.