Veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson has made it clear that his only goal is to compete for a championship this coming season. However, the youthful Dallas Mavericks don’t present him with such an opportunity. Enter the Miami Heat.
While the Heat have limited trade assets, they have an ace up their sleeve in Nikola Jovic, whose four-year, $62M contract kicks in this year. The Heat can hypothetically do a simple one-on-one trade to land Thompson’s expiring $17.4M salary.
Miami Heat Trade Target: Klay Thompson
Heat would receive: Klay Thompson
Mavericks would receive: Nikola Jovic
The Heat don’t have any tradeable firsts or pick swaps left after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. They can technically move their 2029 first-rounder, but only after next year’s NBA Draft. As such, the Heat would have to sell the Mavericks on Jovic’s potential to get a deal done. They can’t really sweeten the pot.
Klay Thompson Trade Update
During his recent appearance on PlaqueBoyMax’s stream, Thompson made it clear that he prefers to be on a team that can compete for the title. He made similar comments at the Fanatics Fest last month.
“I want to compete for a championship, not necessarily win one, but just have the chance to go and try and get another one,” he said, via Complex.
“I want to play a role on a team that can make a deep playoff run, whether it’s this season or next season. That’s really my only goal.”
For what it’s worth, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported this week that the Heat have no intention to move Jovic, their only real trade asset remaining.
“Even though the Heat could get creative with a trade offer revolving around 23-year-old forward Nikola Jovic, this doesn’t appear to be a scenario Miami wants to see play out,” Siegel reported on Friday.
“Jovic is a young talent the Heat have coveted since drafting him 27th overall in 2022, and he is one of the team’s only youthful options after trading Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis for Giannis.”
Miami Heat May Not Have a Choice
Siegel’s report added that the Heat were similarly hesitant to move Jovic as part of the Antetokounmpo trade earlier this season. The Heat were reportedly hopeful that Klay Thompson, whom they still covet, would ask the Mavericks for a buyout.
But that hasn’t happened yet.
“…League sources say Thompson has not yet approached the team about a potential buyout, and the Mavericks are focused on finding a trade for the veteran sharpshooter,” Siegel added.
“The Mavericks do not hold interest in buying Thompson out and want to utilize his expiring contract to add something of value, whether it be second-round draft assets or something else.”
The Miami Heat may ultimately have no choice but to move Jovic for Thompson. The latter brings instant championship pedigree to a Heat team that desperately requires shooting. As it stands, Andrew Wiggins — who made 2.0 threes at 41% shooting last season — is Miami’s best perimeter threat, while Bam Adebayo and Davion Mitchell are streaky shooters who can’t be relied upon. The offseason addition of Tim Hardaway Jr. and the re-signing of Simone Fontecchio should help, but it’s still not enough shooting to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
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