One of the busiest teams in this NBA offseason is bringing a sharpshooter and four-time NBA champion to its roster. Klay Thompson is joining the Miami Heat.
On August 21, four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson agreed to sign with the Heat. That’s after he reached a contract buyout with the Dallas Mavericks.
Thompson becomes the final key piece in the Heat’s contending team build for the upcoming season.
Klay Thompson’s Contract Buyout with Dallas Mavs
As previously reported, the Mavericks’ numerous offseason moves put the team into a corner. Klay Thompson was clearly the solution to their current roster issue.
Before Klay Thompson was bought out, Dallas had 16 players under standard contracts, one over the NBA’s roster limit.
Combined with the sharpshooter’s desire to play for a contender, Thompson and the Mavs reached a win-win agreement. Dallas bought out the remainder of his $17.5 million contract for the 2026-2027 season. Thompson reportedly agreed to give back $9.8 million to the Dallas Mavericks, a standard practice in buyout agreements.
What is Thompson’s New Deal with Miami?
After clearing waivers, Klay Thompson signed with the Miami Heat on a two-year, $11.5 million contract.
Thompson will be paid $5.6 million in the first year of his deal, per Spotrac. Thompson will then have a player option for the 2027-28 season worth just under $5.9 million.
There’s more good news for Heat fans besides Thompson heading to South Beach. His new deal allows Miami to fill out the rest of its roster and avoid being hard-capped at the first apron.
Heat President Pat Riley is certainly a big fan of the addition:
“Klay is one of the most iconic players to ever suit up in the NBA…a four-time battle-tested World Champion who will fit perfectly into his role as an all-around player at both ends of the court,” Riley said in a statement.
Thompson’s welcome presser is on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. EST. The live stream is located on the Miami Heat’s official YouTube account.
Thompson Fills Plenty of Holes for Miami Heat
In Miami, Klay Thompson brings a much-needed skill set.
The former five-time All-Star is an elite shooter and complements the Heat’s two biggest stars: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. He becomes an essential piece if the Heat are planning to contend in the East.
To clarify, Thompson isn’t the player he once was. He scored a career-worst 11.7 PPG and shot below 40% overall for the first time in his 13-year career. But signing with the Heat surrounds him with a stronger team and culture.
With Bam and Giannis putting extra pressure in the paint, that will force extra help and better looks for Thompson, who is still an efficient shooter. He drilled 38% of his 7.6 threes attempted per game last year.
The former Splash Bro is more than just a decorated veteran. He also brings a long history of successful playoff experience. Known as ‘Game 6 Klay,’ he’s won four championships with the Golden State Warriors. Another recent accolade for Thompson is passing Damian Lillard for fourth on the all-time three-point makes list in January.
Thompson also brings some familiarity to the table. He’s reuniting with former Warriors teammate Andrew Wiggins in Miami. The two played four seasons together and hoisted the NBA championship trophy for the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
Miami Heat Putting Finishing Touches for Roster
With Klay Thompson now in the fold, the Miami Heat need one more standard contract to meet the 14-contract minimum to finalize their roster.
Expect at least one more name to join the team. Thompson’s current deal allows the Heat to offer at least two veteran minimum deals without hitting the hard cap.
Fortunately for the Heat, Thompson’s contract leaves enough room to sign two more players on a veteran minimum and stay under the hard cap.
The rumored frontrunner for one of those spots is 28-year-old Nick Richards.
There is mutual interest with the Heat and Richards, with Miami preferring a big man. The 6’11 center finished last season with the Chicago Bulls after getting traded from the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 48 games across both teams last season.
Other players rumored for a minimum, like Gabe Vincent and Keshad Johnson, could end in another Miami Heat reunion. Johnson spent the last two seasons in South Beach as a two-way guard and ultimately earned a standard deal. The electric, young forward represented the Heat in this year’s All-Star Dunk Contest and didn’t disappoint, bringing home the trophy.
Vincent spent four seasons with Miami and played a crucial part in numerous playoff appearances for the franchise. Vincent went undrafted in 2018 before signing a two-way contract with the Heat in 2020. He quickly became one of the Heat’s many undrafted development success stories, especially during Miami’s run to the NBA Finals in 2023.
However, he has struggled on the floor for the Lakers and, most recently, the Hawks since leaving the Heat.
Whoever the franchise chooses to finalize their roster, it’s abundantly clear that Miami isn’t looking to settle for just a playoff run. It’s looking to bring the Larry O’Brien trophy home once again.
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