Heat playing a risky game with adding Klay Thompson

After signing former All-Star wing and four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson to a two-year deal, the Miami Heat seem to have balanced out a roster that was in dire need of firepower from beyond the arc to complement their revamped core. That is definitely the case at face value, but in doing so, the team has actually generated a lurking problem.

The Heat now have a more formidable lineup for next season, at least on paper. While they shafted a lot of their depth, they still brought in an MVP-caliber player in his prime in Giannis Antetokounmpo to team up with All-Star big man Bam Adebayo. 

Given that configuration, the addition of Thompson simply made a ton of sense as shooting remains especially lacking in the current roster. However, the Heat's projected degree of reliance on the 36-year-old is actually a pretty concerning bit.

Klay Thompson isn't the player he used to be

Thompson has taken a steep decline as a contributor in the last couple of years. He is still one of the best spot-up shooters in the game, but his three-point shooting percentage has dipped below 40 percent for three consecutive seasons already.

Given his advanced age, Thompson has also found it more difficult to be an effective defender. Miami has always been an aggressive defensive squad under Erik Spoelstra, and since the Heat need shooting, Thompson will probably log heavy minutes. That could make their perimeter defense quite dicey as he is someone they will have to hide on that end at this juncture.

Thompson offers very little elsewhere, so he will reprise his role as a three-and-D piece. Problem is, the "D" part thereof is already a weak point of his, while the "three" one is not as lethal as it used to be. 

In an ideal world, the Heat will temper Thompson's role for next season. However, they are simply not equipped to do that, so they have no choice but to stomach the risks associated with relying on him a lot at this point in his career.