Heat Sign Klay Thompson to Two-Year, $11.5 Million Contract
-
The Heat addressed that need by signing veteran shooter Klay Thompson to a two-year, $11.5 million contract. Thompson arrives after spending the 2025-26 season with the Dallas Mavericks, where he averaged 11.7 points in 69 games and shot 38.3% from 3-point range.
Compare 2 other versions
Bleacher ReportYet Thompson is also 36 years old and coming off an inconsistent season with Dallas that saw him moved into a bench role and average a career-low 11.7 points per game. The Heat likely aren't getting the version of him who put the Warriors on his back at times during championship runs.
SB NationThompson is still one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. He attempted 16.6 three-pointers per 100 possessions last season, which was only topped by Steph Curry and LaMelo Ball. He knocked them down at a 38.8% clip, which is still well above league-average. Thompson isn’t the defender he once was, but he graded out much better on that end than Hardaway Jr. did last season. Klay was a 55th percentile defender in Dallas last year according to EPM, while Hardaway Jr. finished in the sixth percentile in the same metric. Thompson’s one-year defensive true shooting impact was +1.2 according to RAPM, while Hardaway’s was -0.3.
-
Thompson briefly spoke to the media about why he pushed to sign with the Heat, noting he liked the franchise's competitive, demanding atmosphere. He added that he liked "the opportunity to play high-level basketball throughout the season and the chance to make a deep postseason run. I've tasted winning before, and there's nothing like it."
Compare 1 other version
Bleacher ReportThere was a time in Thompson's career where that type of deal would have been a steal for the Heat.
-
TOP NEWS Report: Heat to Sign Klay 🌴 Heat still have 2 rosters spot left after signing Klay
3 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
-
01 Yahoo Sports The Miami Heat entered the 2026-27 season with a significantly different roster after adding Giannis Antetokounmpo alongside Bam Adebayo. The move had raised expectations around Miami, but it also created a clear need for reliable perimeter shooting around its two interior stars.
-
02 Bleacher Report He figures to get a chance to reach the playoffs in Miami considering the Eastern Conference contender also added Giannis Antetokounmpo to a lineup that features Bam Adebayo.
-
03 SB Nation Heat fans are already championing this signing as their version of getting Ray Allen back in 2013. All Allen did the next season was hit one of the most iconic shots in NBA history. No pressure, Klay. While I can’t fault Heat fans for getting excited, I tend to think that is way, way too optimistic. Thompson’s fit in Miami feels better on paper than it will be in reality.
Fact Corroboration
Which sources independently confirm the same facts. Hover a claim to see its sources, or a source to see what it corroborates.
Coverage by Region
Source Similarity
Connections show how similarly each outlet covered this story. Thicker lines = more similar framing.
Sources (3)
- bleacherreport
- sbnation
- yahoosports