Mavericks exploring bold trade moves, even involving an NBA Champion

The Dallas Mavericks are a dumpster fire right now. They're 2-7 entering Saturday's game on the road against the Washington Wizards, a team they've already lost to, on the second night of a back-to-back. And if they can't find a way to win this game, it may be a long time before the next win, because the schedule is daunting.

Dallas' offense is by far the worst in the NBA. They're last in points per game, last in three-pointers made, 29th in three-point percentage, 24th in free-throw percentage, 25th in field goal percentage, 28th in offensive rebounds per game, 29th in offensive rebound rate, 28th in assists per game, last in offensive rating, 29th in assist-to-turnover ratio, and 28th in true shooting percentage, all while being one of the ten faster teams in the NBA.

One guy who was supposed to help with part of that is Klay Thompson, but he's been bad this year, averaging 7.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.9 APG while shooting just 31.6% from the floor and 26.4% from three. And yet, no one is blaming him, because he didn't sign up to be in the situation. He thought he'd be ending his career getting open feeds from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but Doncic was traded against his will, and Irving tore his ACL near the end of last season.

And now, the Mavericks may be looking to move on from Klay Thompson, as well as Daniel Gafford. "It is no secret that Harrison and the Mavericks' front office will explore what return exists for Klay Thompson before the trade deadline," Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported, "and several teams are monitoring Daniel Gafford's status, sources said. The 27-year-old center recently signed a three-year, [$54] million contract extension this offseason, but he remains trade eligible this season."

Nov 5, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

How Much Value Does Klay Thompson Have?

Klay Thompson is in the second year of a three-year, $50 million contract. The value looked solid at the time, but without any playmaking on the roster, he's not worth nearly that much. He's making $16.7 million this year and will be making about $17.5 million next year. So, what could Dallas get?

Probably not much, honestly. He's 35 years old and clearly relies on others to create his shots for him, especially at this stage of his career. And at that contract in today's NBA, people won't want to give up significant assets.

It'd be shocking if the Mavs got any type of draft capital back for Thompson unless he's attached with another asset like Gafford, who should have value around the NBA.

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