Klay Thompson Set to Join Miami Heat Following Mavericks Buyout
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Sources: Klay set to join Heat after Mavs buyout Klay Thompson is expected to sign with the Heat after clearing waivers following his contract buyout from the Mavericks, sources told ESPN.
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CBS SportsShortly after the announcement, ESPN reported that Thompson is expected to sign with the Miami Heat once he clears waivers, providing some much-needed shooting around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo on the new-look Heat.
Fox SportsThompson intends to sign with the Miami Heat once he clears waivers, according to a person familiar with the five-time All-Star’s plans. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because Thompson has yet to reveal that detail publicly. Assuming he is not claimed by another club, Thompson may be able to sign with the Heat as early as Sunday.
Bleacher ReportThe Miami Heat are expected to land veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
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Thompson won four NBA titles alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green with the Warriors. The 36-year-old spent his first 13 seasons with Golden State, although he missed two entire seasons with knee and Achilles injuries.
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Bleacher ReportHere's a look at Miami's updated roster following the move. Thompson established himself as one of the best shooters in NBA history during his tenure with the Golden State Warriors from 2011-24, earning five All-Star nods and two All-NBA selections.
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Thompson, 36, signed with the Mavericks in 2024 and played 141 games in Dallas, averaging 12.9 points on 40.3/38.7/85.1 shooting splits in two seasons. With Dallas pivoting toward a youth movement led by reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks had little need to keep Thompson on the roster for the 2026-27 season and opted to reach a buyout well before training camp began to give him the opportunity to sign with a contender.
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Bleacher ReportStill, Thompson returned to Golden State and helped the organization remain successful before signing a three-year contract with the Mavericks as a free agent in July 2024.
Fox SportsThompson joined Dallas in a sign-and-trade with Golden State, giving the Mavericks one of the league's all-time great 3-point shooters to complement Doncic and another high-scoring guard in Kyrie Irving.
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At the time, Dallas was coming off an NBA Finals appearance led by star Luka Dončić. The Mavericks ultimately traded Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2024-25 season, though.
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Fox SportsBut the high hopes for that threesome imploded after the Mavericks sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for the oft-injured Anthony Davis in a deal before the trade deadline in 2025. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee a month later and hasn't played since. Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards just before the February trade deadline last season.
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“Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization,” Ujiri said. “We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career.”
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CBS Sports"Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization," Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said in a statement. "We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward."
4 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Yahoo Sports This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Klay Thompson plans to sign a two-year, nearly $13 …
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02 Bleacher Report Per Charania, Thompson will sign with Miami upon receiving a contract buyout from the Dallas Mavericks.
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03 CBS Sports Miami faced hard cap restrictions in building out its roster around Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, and hoped to accelerate its timeline as a contender by signing LeBron James. Once James opted to join the Philadelphia 76ers, the Heat had to pivot to find veteran reinforcements for the roster and landed a four-time NBA champion in Thompson to bolster their pursuit of a fourth title in Miami.
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04 Fox Sports The Doncic trade ended up derailing the franchise, although Dallas overcame steep odds to win the draft lottery a few months later. With the No. 1 overall pick, the Mavericks selected Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg, who ended up winning Rookie of the Year and giving the franchise new hope.
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Sources (5)
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- bleacherreport
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