The Miami Heat’s pursuit of Klay Thompson already depended on patience, cooperation from the Dallas Mavericks and a veteran shooter willing to prioritize basketball fit over salary.
Now Miami may have another obstacle: the Los Angeles Lakers.
California Post’s Ryan Anderson reported that the Lakers would be a natural destination for Thompson if he becomes available. Los Angeles has not entered trade discussions with Dallas, but its need for shooting around Luka Doncic creates an obvious fit.
Thompson would also welcome a return to Los Angeles, where he spent part of his childhood and still owns a home, according to The Athletic.
That possibility represents unwelcome news for a Heat team that has spent weeks waiting for Thompson’s situation to break its way.
Lakers Could Complicate Heat’s Preferred Plan
GettyLuka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers greets Klay Thompson of the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on February 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Miami has identified Thompson as its top remaining target because of the shooting he could provide around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Heat have explored both trade and buyout paths. Miami’s preference, however, has been to wait and see whether Dallas eventually releases Thompson rather than surrender rotation players in a trade.
The Lakers’ presence would make that strategy considerably riskier.
If Thompson negotiates a buyout, he would become an unrestricted free agent capable of choosing his next team. Los Angeles could offer a return home, another opportunity to play beside Doncic and the chance to join a franchise that pursued him aggressively two summers ago.
Thompson chose Dallas over the Lakers in 2024 after leaving the Golden State Warriors. Los Angeles discussed a four-year, $80 million agreement, but Thompson accepted a three-year, $50 million contract from the Mavericks because he viewed Dallas as the better championship opportunity.
Doncic was central to that decision. He is now the Lakers’ franchise centerpiece.
Thompson’s father, former Lakers center and current radio analyst Mychal Thompson, publicly acknowledged trying to persuade his son to choose Los Angeles in 2024. Mychal won two championships with the Lakers and described Klay’s decision to join Dallas as disappointing.
The family connection remains another advantage Miami cannot replicate.
Dallas Still Controls Klay Thompson’s Future
The Mavericks have 16 players on standard contracts and must reduce that number to 15 before the regular season.
Thompson, 36, is entering the final year of his contract at $17.46 million. His expiring salary and Dallas’ rebuilding shift around Cooper Flagg have fueled questions about whether he will remain with the team.
Yet Dallas has little incentive to lose him without receiving value. The Stein Line’s Marc Stein reported that the Mavericks prefer a trade over a buyout, complicating Miami’s most financially attractive path.
The Heat have limited straightforward salary-matching options. Nikola Jović, Davion Mitchell and Bobby Portis are among the few players whose contracts could facilitate a deal, but sacrificing a useful rotation player for an aging specialist would carry its own cost.
Thompson averaged a career-low 11.7 points last season, but his most important skill survived. He made 38.3% of his 3-point attempts while launching 7.6 per game.
That shooting would fit naturally in Erik Spoelstra’s offense, particularly when Antetokounmpo and Adebayo collapse defenses.
Miami can offer Thompson a defined role and a chance to contend in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers can offer many of the same things, along with home and a reunion with Doncic.
The Heat remain firmly interested. They may no longer be waiting alone.
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