Dialogue Has Opened Between Mavericks, Klay Thompson With Miami Heat 'Desperate'

Klay Thompson seems to be the odd man out on the Dallas Mavericks.

P.J. Washington revealed that he's very confident he'll be on the Mavericks to start the season, and with the Mavericks needing to trade or waive someone to get down to the 15-man limit, Klay Thompson is the most obvious candidate to be moved.

It has been widely reported for months that the Mavericks would prefer to trade the sharpshooter, who is on an expiring contract. However, no trades have materialized yet, with teams like the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers hoping for a buyout.

Thompson has yet to approach the Mavs to ask for a buyout, but NBA insider Marc Stein revealed that there has been communication between the two parties about his future in Dallas.

"There has indeed been direct contact this offseason between new Mavericks president Masai Ujiri and Thompson, but Dallas has maintained since mid-June that it prefers to trade Thompson if possible rather than buy him out," Stein wrote Sunday night.

Stein took it a step further on Monday when he said on a DLLS Mavs livestream that the Heat are "desperate" to add the sharpshooter.

"All we know is, Miami is desperate for Klay Thompson, but they want to sign him as a free agent. They would not be the only team interested," Stein said.

The Miami Heat are DESPERATE for Klay Thompson, per @TheSteinLine

“To this point the Mavs position has not changed. They would prefer to trade him (Klay Thompson). — All we know is, Miami is desperate for Klay Thompson but they want to sign him as a free agent. They would not… https://t.co/tBVI9LI9Uo pic.twitter.com/CrnYbqBD4e
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) August 17, 2026

If Heat Were That Desperate, A Deal Would Have Been Made

The Miami Heat do need to add shooting around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Even after signing Tim Hardaway Jr., they simply don't have enough on the roster to provide the spacing needed.

Thompson would be a perfect fit. They may not have elite playmaking, but Antetokounmpo is a capable playmaker, and Davion Mitchell has grown that aspect of his game.

If they were that desperate to add Thompson, though, a trade would have been made for Nikola Jovic. However, they apparently don't want to give up on him yet, likely because they know they'd have to attach a handful of assets to get off his contract.

The Mavericks have two months before the start of the season, so they're not in a rush to make a decision right now.

We also don't know exactly what communication there was between Masai Ujiri and Klay Thompson. There may be an understanding in place to search for a trade, and if nothing becomes available, they can discuss a buyout at that point.

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