Welcome to South Beach, Klay!
According to a Friday report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, veteran shooter Klay Thompson is likely to join the Miami Heat after clearing waivers following a buyout from his contract.
The 36-year-old was set to earn $17.5 million in the final year of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks, who announced on Friday that they would be buying him out.
This buyout was initiated after Thompson expressed to the Mavericks his desire to compete for a championship-contending team. Last season, Dallas finished with a record of 26-56.
Thompson has emerged as a primary target for the Heat following their significant trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, acquiring superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It’s been quite the offseason for Pat Riley. Sure, he might have missed out on LeBron James, and perhaps he’ll regret his decision regarding Philadelphia, but I digress. Just when it seemed like he would let the Eastern Conference arms race pass him by, he manages to assemble a strong team.
With Klay Thompson added to the roster, Miami’s lineup now looks impressive:
- Davion Mitchell
- Klay Thompson
- Andrew Wiggins
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Bam Adebayo
The bench includes Dru Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr., Pelle Larsson, Simone Fontecchio, Nikola Jović, Bobby Portis, Myron Gardner, and Ryan Conwell, with two open roster spots remaining.
Bringing in Giannis was already a major turning point for Miami (and the NBA as a whole), but with the addition of Klay, they’ve now addressed their primary weakness: shooting.
Giannis is a force when he drives to the basket, but his teams have always relied on good perimeter shooting. Miami just acquired one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the history of the game.
The thing is, Klay doesn’t need to return to being the defensive powerhouse he was in 2017; he just has to position himself on the wing, let Giannis draw defenders into the paint, and then hit shots from long range.
Honestly, don’t be shocked if this team goes far; and that’s not even considering Bam’s impact.
