Klay Thompson's Desire for End of Career Could Lead to Departure From Mavericks

"I want to compete for a championship, not necessarily win one, but just, like, have the chance to go and try and get another one. I want to play a role on a team that I want to make a deep playoff run, whether it's this season or next season, but that's really my only goal."

Dallas Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson said that on a Twitch stream this week, reflecting on the end of his career that is coming soon. He still wants to be competitive, and the Mavericks have been from it for most of the two years he's been with them.

Thompson signed with the Mavericks after their run to the 2024 NBA Finals, with both sides believing he was exactly what was missing. When the preferred starting unit of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Dereck Lively II shared the floor early in that 2024-25 season, they were lethal, clearly looking like they could be among the West's best.

Mavericks G/F Klay Thompson says that he wants to compete for a championship, not necessarily win one, but have the chance to compete and try and win a title and play a role on a team that can make a deep playoff run #MFFL

(🎥: @PlaqueBoyMax Twitch) pic.twitter.com/gEpG18RDhi
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) August 14, 2026

However, Doncic dealt with injuries throughout the early portion of the season, leading to a severe calf strain suffered on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he was shockingly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers five weeks later.

Dallas hasn't been the same since.

Anthony Davis, who was the primary return for Doncic, played in just 29 games in the span of a year, leading to him being salary-dumped in February to the Washington Wizards. Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March of 2025, leading him to miss all of the 2025-26 season. Dereck Lively II played just 7 games last year after foot surgery.

Even with the sheer luck of getting Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft was never going to be enough to immediately vault the Mavs back into playoff contention.

The outlook doesn't look much better this season, as many sportsbooks have the Mavs pegged for somewhere between 32 and 35 wins. Because of that, Klay Thompson's time in Dallas could be coming to an end.

Apr 7, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) shoots during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Any Trades Looming for Klay Thompson?

It's been widely reported that the Mavericks have had Klay Thompson available in trade talks all offseason, as teams like the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers have shown interest.

However, they seemingly have more interest if he's bought out, rather than acquiring him in a trade.

The Mavericks are below the tax line, so while they do need to waive or trade someone before the start of the season to get down to the 15-man limit, they're in no rush to do so.

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