Mavs Reportedly Not Discussing Buyout With Klay Thompson

While there has been plenty of chatter this summer about Miami being interested in Klay Thompson, particularly if he’s waived following a buyout with the Mavericks, the veteran wing and Dallas aren’t currently discussing a buyout, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).

As Siegel notes, the Mavs have explored trades involving Thompson, but nothing has come together on that front. The 36-year-old is owed $17.5MM in 2026/27 ahead of possible free agency next year.

Thompson made five straight All-Star teams during his prime and helped Golden State make five consecutive NBA Finals appearances during that same stretch, which included three championships. However, he tore the ACL in his left knee during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, causing him to miss the entire 2019/20 season, then tore his right Achilles tendon in November 2020, resulting in another full-season absence.

Thompson helped the Warriors win a fourth title after returning to action in the middle of the 2021/22 season, but his athleticism understandably declined after the major injuries. He parted ways with the Warriors in the 2024 offseason when he was signed-and-traded to Dallas.

Things haven’t gone the way Thompson hoped when he agreed to join the Mavs, who were coming off an NBA Finals appearance in 2024 but have missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons. Thompson’s numbers have fallen off considerably over that span, and they were at career-worst levels in multiple categories this past season, including points (11.7), rebounds (2.1), assists (1.4) and minutes (21.7) per game.

Thompson has been pretty durable the past three years, appearing in 77, 72 and 69 games. He’s still an above-average three-point shooter on high volume, knocking down 38.3% of his 7.6 attempts per game last season, though he shot a career-worst 41.8% on his 2.9 two-point tries.

It’s unclear if the Mavericks have plans to retain Thompson after adding several younger players to provide outside shooting. The team is also facing a minor roster crunch, with 16 players currently on standard deals.