Klay Thompson's time with the Dallas Mavericks is coming to an end after two seasons.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Thompson is expected to sign with the Miami Heat after the Mavericks agreed to buy out the final year of his contract. Thompson was set to earn $17.5 million during the 2026-27 season.
Thompson made it clear to Dallas that he wanted an opportunity to play for a contender. Miami made the four-time NBA champion one of its top free-agent targets and had reportedly been waiting for months for him to become available.
The move gives Thompson another opportunity to compete for a championship, this time alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo in Miami.
Thompson arrives following a difficult second season with the Mavericks. He appeared in 69 games and averaged 11.7 points while shooting a career-low 39.3 percent from the field. His 38.3 percent mark from three-point range was also the lowest of his career.
His role had also changed significantly.
After Dallas reportedly used a starting job as part of its recruiting pitch when Thompson joined the franchise in 2024, head coach Jason Kidd moved the veteran sharpshooter to the bench early last season. Thompson briefly returned to the starting lineup before eventually settling into a reserve role.
The Mavericks originally landed Thompson after his decorated 13-year run with the Golden State Warriors came to an end. Alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Thompson helped form the core of a Warriors dynasty that won four championships.
Thompson's final years in Golden State were complicated by the torn ACL and Achilles injuries that cost him more than two full seasons. When he returned, he remained one of the league's most dangerous perimeter shooters but was no longer the elite two-way player who had become a cornerstone of the Warriors' championship teams.
His move to Dallas didn't produce the late-career resurgence the Mavericks may have hoped for. Thompson averaged 14 points during his first season with the team while shooting what was then a career-low 41.2 percent from the field.
Miami won't necessarily need Thompson to rediscover his prime form. With Antetokounmpo and Adebayo anchoring the Heat, the veteran can potentially fill a more specialized role as an experienced floor spacer with extensive postseason experience.
