Klay Thompson Sends CLEAR Message He Wants Out of Dallas: 5 Likely Destinations Following Viral Comments

If it wasn’t obvious before, Klay Thompson made it very clear this week that he wants to play elsewhere during the 2026-27 NBA season.

For weeks, there have been rumors about the Dallas Mavericks looking to trade the five-time All-Star. Unfortunately, they haven’t found any takers for the veteran guard and the $17.4 million left on his contract. While some have speculated they might buy out the final year of his deal and let him hit free agency, it doesn’t seem like Dallas is ready to do that just yet.

So would Thompson be open to playing out his deal with the Mavericks if they can’t find a trade partner? It doesn’t seem like he has any interest in that.

“I want to compete for a championship, not necessarily win one, but just like have the chance to go and try and get another one. I want to play a role on a team that I want to make a deep playoff run, whether it’s this season or next season, but that’s really my only goal,” Thompson said during a Thursday live stream with popular Twitch streamer Plaque Boy Max.

Well, he won’t be able to do that in Dallas. They have made it known publicly that they are at the beginning of a multi-year rebuild around Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. And they will likely trade Kyrie Irving before next season’s trade deadline.

Where could Klay Thompson end up next season?

So where could Thompson end up if he is traded, or more likely released, before the start of the 2026-27 NBA season? If he is willing to take a team-friendly contract, five teams that could make deep runs in next year’s postseason are obvious fits.

The first is the Los Angeles Lakers. His father, Mychal, has wanted him in LA for years, and the Lakers could certainly use his shooting off the bench. Three other teams with big aspirations next season that would benefit from Thompson’s shooting off their bench are the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, the team he has been linked to the most, and that seems like the probable landing spot, is the Miami Heat. They badly need more shooting. Thompson could start in Miami, and who wouldn’t want to compete on a playoff contender in South Beach?