With Bradley Beal off the board, the Miami Heat’s top options are down to DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson.
The Heat has shown strong interest in Thompson, the 36-year-old five-time All-Star who is entering the final season of a three-year deal.
According to NBA insider Brett Siegel, there has been no motion between Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks involving a contract buyout.
“However, league sources say Thompson has not yet approached the team about a potential buyout, and the Mavericks are focused on finding a trade for the veteran sharpshooter,” Siegel reported for ClutchPoints The Mavericks do not hold interest in buying Thompson out and want to utilize his expiring contract to add something of value, whether it be second-round draft assets or something else.”
Miami Heat Waits as Klay Thompson’s Situation Still of Focus Around the League
The Mavs are unwilling to buyout the final deal of Thompson’s contract, and the Heat is not looking to expend more of its few remaining assets to acquire a player who is headed toward unrestricted free agency after the 2026-27 season.
“Even though the Heat could get creative with a trade offer revolving around 23-year-old forward Nikola Jovic, this doesn’t appear to be a scenario Miami wants to see play out,” Siegel wrote. “Jovic is a young talent the Heat have coveted since drafting him 27th overall in 2022, and he is one of the team’s only youthful options after trading Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis for Giannis.”
The Heat has a decent chunk of its mid-level exception remaining that the team can use to sign Thompson if he were to become a free agent.
“Miami only has about $10.6 million to work with before reaching its first-apron hard cap, and the Heat still have access to $8.9 million of their mid-level exception,” Siegel wrote. “The best scenario for the Heat is Thompson reaching a buyout with the Mavs and ultimately accepting a majority or all of this MLE.”
Heat Loses Out on Beal, Met With Competition for Klay
Beal and Miami have been linked for multiple years. Many were expecting the former All-Star guard to end up with the Heat this offseason. Instead, he returned to the Los Angeles Clippers after an injury-riddled 2025-26 season with the team.
But Thompson has reportedly been the Heat’s top priority for weeks. The Heat will hang tight and hope Thompson shakes free from Dallas.
“It appears that the Heat will remain patient in filling out the rest of its roster to give Thompson time to possibly shake free through a buyout agreement,” Heat reporter Anthony Chiang wrote for the Miami Herald.
Team reporter Ethan Skolnick believes Thompson will still end up in Miami this offseason despite the Mavs resisting a buyout.
“I believe that the Heat will end up with Klay Thompson and I don’t believe they will have to trade anything for him. And I know right now they’re not inclined to trade anything for him.”
Thompson averaged 11.7 points per game and cashed 38.3 percent of his 3-point attempts last season. After landing Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat views Thompson as the perfect floor spacer to slot alongside the two-time NBA MVP.
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