Miami got its man on Sunday night
Klay Thompson is a Heat player. Miami announced the signing late Sunday, a few hours after Thompson cleared waivers and became a free agent.
The route there was short and blunt. Thompson told Dallas he wanted to play for a contender. The Mavericks bought out the final year of a deal that would have paid him $17.5 million this season, placed him on waivers, and announced his departure Friday. ESPN reported that same day that Thompson intended to sign a two-year contract worth close to $13 million.
Miami did not disclose terms.
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Riley wanted more than the jumper
Pat Riley made the case himself. “Klay is one of the most iconic players to ever suit up in the NBA,” the Heat president said in a news release. “A four-time battle-tested world champion who will fit perfectly into his role as an all-around player at both ends of the court. We all talk about his shooting skill, but there is so much more he brings to the game. We are blessed that Klay chose the Heat in our quest to challenge for championships.”
The shooting still travels. Thompson sits fourth on the all-time list with 2,899 made three-pointers and has hit 40.9 percent from range across 13 seasons. He set the single-game record with 14 threes against Chicago on October 29, 2018. Last season in Dallas he averaged 11.7 points in 21.7 minutes over 69 games, shot 38.3 percent from deep and led the Mavericks with 202 threes, his 11th season above 200.
Two teams heading opposite ways
The gap between the clubs explains the move. Dallas went 26-56 and finished 12th in the Western Conference. Miami went 43-39, landed 10th in the East, then lost the play-in to Charlotte. The Heat traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo in July.
Thompson is 36. He has 934 regular-season games behind him, 822 of them starts, split between Golden State and Dallas, plus two seasons lost to a knee and an Achilles. Four rings came with the Warriors: 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022. He also owns two All-NBA third-team nods and an All-Defensive second-team selection from 2019. He arrives in Miami with a defined job and a roster built to need it.
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