Klay Thompson’s days with the Dallas Mavericks may be numbered.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Mavs are open to explore the trade market for Thompson, who would prefer to play for a contender in the twilight of his career. The Mavericks were considered a contender when Thompson initially joined the team, but they're far from that at this point in time.
Mavericks are open to trade Klay Thompson, who wants to play for a contender
Thompson, who signed with Dallas last summer, has one year and $17 million remaining on his current contract. Given those financials, it wouldn't be difficult for the Mavericks to find an interested suitor for Thompson, even though he's clearly not the player he once was.
From Charania:
"Thompson, who joined Dallas during free agency in July 2024, was sold on joining the Mavericks to play alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on a team coming off a run to the Finals. With Doncic gone and the franchise winning at a below-.500 clip, teams across the league know Thompson prefers to be part of a contender over the remaining two years of his three-year, $50 million deal."
With the Mavs being open to trade Thompson and Thompson himself wanting to play for a contender, it seems likely that a deal will get done at some point prior to the trade deadline. Dallas should be going all-in on a rebuild around No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, and that would entail flipping veterans like Thompson, D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis for as much draft capital as possible.
It remains to be seen exactly what the Mavs could get in return for Thompson, 35, at this point, but his value probably isn't going to improve with age, so it would make sense for them to try to capitalize while they can.
Thompson’s numbers have dropped dramatically in Dallas compared to his peak in Golden State. He's averaging just 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.8 minutes per game this season. He's also shooting career-lows from the field (36) and from long range (35).
But, he’s still a respected floor-spacer that defenses are forced to pay attention to. As such, he remains a valuable player to pair with a star player who draws a lot of defensive attention – just like he was in Golden State and was supposed to be in Dallas prior to the Luka Doncic trade. There are plenty of those.
Plus, with just a year remaining on his deal at a reasonable rate, trading for Thompson wouldn't require a long-term investment on the part of the team that acquires him. It would be a relatively low-risk acquisition.
Thompson's wealth of postseason experience could also be attractive to contending teams. This is a guy with four championship rings who has played in 158 career playoff games – that’s almost two entire seasons worth of playoff games.
So, there would definitely be a market for Thompson if he were made available, and it seems like the writing is already on the wall when it comes to his future in Dallas.