After weeks of speculation, the Miami Heat finally acquired sharpshooter Klay Thompson, who was bought out by the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. The deal can’t be made official until Sunday, when the 13-year veteran clears waivers. But Thompson is expected to sign with the Heat for two years, $13 million, eating the majority of what’s left of the Heat’s mid-level exception.
Let’s grade the signing!
Grading the Klay Thompson addition for the Miami Heat:
Entering the summer, retaining both Tyler Herro and Norman Powell was untenable. Their on-court fit was disastrous; both needed the ball in their hands to be worthwhile offensive players, and both were turnstiles defensively.
Well, the Heat retained neither.
Miami and Herro both needed to go their separate ways, and they pulled that off in the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster. Powell eventually signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Bulls, and we’ve since learned that the Heat never formally came to the table with an offer despite speculation of mutual interest.
Powell and Herro were two of the Heat’s four players last year who attempted at least 6.0 3PA per 75 possessions (min. 100 total 3PA). Those four — the two aforementioned names plus Simone Fontecchio and Nikola Jovic, who canned a dastardly 26.9 percent of his threes — marked the second-fewest in the NBA, only above the Denver Nuggets.
Miami successfully poached former Nugget guard Tim Hardaway Jr. from Denver. It also drafted Ryan Conwell, a high-octane marksman, with the No. 37 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Yet, volume shooting to provide spacing around their new-look frontcourt remained a priority. You can never have enough shooting around Antetekounmpo.
Now, evidently, they have one of the greatest shooters ever who still buries open shots at a high level.
Thompson, 36, shot 38.3 percent on 7.6 triple tries per game with the Mavericks last season. In his four previous seasons after tearing his ACL and achilles, Thompson shot 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. He’s still a deadeye sharpshooter capable of drawing legitimate gravity, an honor that can only be awarded to very few players on this team.
The Heat weren’t going to capture as good of a shooter as Thompson this late into the summer. Acquiring him without having to fork over any of their remaining assets — *cough* Nikola Jovic *cough* — was the best-case scenario, even though offloading the 23-year-old Serbian would ease the Heat’s books in future seasons.
To me, this is a clear win, essentially capping off a successful Heat summer to begin this new build.
Grade: A-
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According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, the 13th roster spot will be filled by Thompson and the 14th could go to veteran big man Nick Richards. Maybe there will be a few dollars left over to bring in a player to fill the 15th spot (e.g., Tre Donaldson, Jagmir Young, Trevor Keels).
I believe they will leave that spot open and see what may fall out of the trees before or during the season.
Not enough money for another vet if they sign Richards or some other vet. However, Miami could sign an undrafted player to a rookie contract.
need a 7 footer richards would be fine.never really seen the dude play.ive heard of him thats about it.7 feet enough for me.
Excuse the length of the following. I think if I put the link, it might not be accessible without a Herald subscription. I trimmed it a bit to highlight a great point.
How Riley fulfilled a Heat promise on a key issue.
Just as Riley and the Heat’s front office delivered on the mission of landing a superstar this summer, the promise to place a premium on availability also has been fulfilled. Just look at the players the Heat have either acquired or intend to try to add:
▪ Tim Hardaway Jr. has averaged 76.8 games each of the past four seasons, which is tied with Derrick White for fourth most in the league during that time among either starters or prominent reserves. He has played in at least 70 games each of the past seven seasons except 2021-22, when a foot injury limited him to 42 games.
▪ Bobby Portis has averaged 71.4 games during the past five seasons, ranking 22nd in the league during that period among starters and prominent reserves, per StatMuse.
▪ Klay Thompson, who the Heat intends to try to sign if the Mavericks buy him out, has averaged 71.8 games during the past four seasons, which is tied for 22nd in the league among starters and prominent reserves during that stretch. He missed the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with knee and Achilles injuries — and played in only 32 games in 2021-22 because of the Achilles recovery — but otherwise has been durable throughout his career, playing at least 69 games in each of his other 11 seasons since his rookie year
. ▪ Though Giannis Antetokounmpo played only 36 games last season, he reportedly could have played many of those games (the Bucks held him out), and he has played at least 70 games in seven of his 13 seasons and played less than 61 games only once (last season). Per StatMuse, he ranks 49th in average games played among starters over the past five seasons, even with the Bucks opting to sit him for the final 14 games last season.
Conversely, the Heat ultimately made no real effort to sign:
▪ Norman Powell, who was limited to 58 games last season and has topped 60 games only twice in the past seven seasons. Powell left the Heat after one season to sign a two-year, $45 million deal with the Bulls; the Heat never made an offer
. ▪ Bradley Beal, who has played 40, 50, 53, 53 and 6 games during the past five seasons.
▪ Anfernee Simons, who played 55 games last season and has topped 62 only once in the past five seasons.
availability the best ability .hes been burnt by quitter and herro think hes finally learned his lesson although niko misses lots games (that might be a good thing)
There was no lesson to be ‘learned’. He addressed the availability issue with both players more than once. In fact, getting called out like that and not getting the expensive extension that he wanted is what made Butler the malcontent he became here. It was about money he thought he deserved and nothing else at the time. Thank goodness Riley didn’t give in to him, we’d be stuck. Now GS is stuck with him.
https://youtu.be/XJKettXTTTc?si=8aQsw-pGAO_CtY3u
For anyone concerned about Klay and his time in Dallas, check out the 2025-26 highlight link. He can still shoot from anywhere, still moves fine, has one of the higher bbiq you could hope for, is a very good passer. He’s not a youngster anymore, but is still a very solid player.
Well, that was 25/26 and Luka already gone. I cant say how he played that season.
Still, I wouldn’t be too excited. Those are highlights.
That pretty much sums the situation.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48957095/2026-nba-free-agency-grades-offseason-signings-deals-contracts-extensions-depth-charts
Those grades have DeRozan and Harden signings as better, really arbitrary. Value Klay provides is make or miss he’s guarded the same as in the highlights. The defense can never cheat off him and always has to close out on his shots. And when he’s on the move in pick and roll etc it causes chaos, takes some of the attention off building the wall against Giannis.
I m not talking about grade, my grade would be B or even a A-, if he would be cheaper.
I m talking about description of his game. He use to be a versatile player, but he is not any more. But still one of the best shooters. Thats exactly what I think.
He still could help, no doubt about it. But we have to be realistic what to expect from him.
Stretching the floor? Sure. Have occasional good game scoring 20?. Yes. Win us a game in playoff? Maybe.
Doing anything else besides that? Not really.
Still ,this is what you can expect from a vet of his age and his contract. And he was the best player available for this role.
He should have the most impact of any addition other than Giannis on this team because of his shooting gravity, he’s not just the best on the team at that but one of the best in the entire NBA. That can change how this offense operates. THJ and Fontecchio provide gravity also but not to Klay’s level, when he is on the court it’s a different problem for the opposing defense unlike anyone else on the roster. On defense while he may not be a great perimeter defender anymore he still has size, like Duncan, and will be asked to be the 5th worst defender in the starting lineup.
All that to say he really changes this team IMO. Saying he is just a shooter is underestimating his effect on offense.
More on the gravity stat where Klay ranked 6th last year
“Gravity scores show how much a player distorts a defense – opening driving or passing lanes, shifting rotations, and creating opportunities for teammates.
Gravity captures a player’s ability to impact the game before the play even begins. It highlights players who generate high-value spacing, draw mismatches, and make their teammates’ job easier – often without taking a shot.”
https://www.nba.com/news/intro-to-gravity-stat-nba-2025
great post
So, lets say something about gravity.
If there is Klay in the game, there is initial adjustment from another team, put a defender close to him. Since Klay is bigger then ordinary guards, it has to be a wing on him.
If Klay stands on the other side of the floor, there is four on four and tactical advantage for Heat. Thats is what we all know and understand.
Things becomes more complicated, if you try to involve Klay into the game more. One way is to make a block or two to get him a good look, or play out the defense in the way, that the man on Klay must leave him open.
The thing is, that Klay is not able to create his own shot by him selves any more, by moving around or pass by his defender, he needs help with that, or he needs to shoot over defenders or from greater distance.
My concern is, that he wont get enough clear looks to be successful.
There’s a graph of movement shooters last year by catch and shoot 3PA per 100 possessions, Klay is all the way to the right with the most attempts, over 7. Curry is around 5.5, LaMelo is below 3.5. Those were the three highest volume 3PT shooters in the league last year per 36 minutes. Duncan Robinson is around where Curry is at 5.5 for context. Klay shot more than anyone else off movement last year and unlike those others did it on the 4th worst offense in the NBA.
In comparison to Duncan, Klay shot a worse 3P% but shot more, he will shoot when his shot is contested more than Duncan and other top shooters which is a valuable skill. Neither one does much at the rim, Klay took only 47 shots at the rim last year and Duncan 71.
I think in picturing what Klay would look like in the offense Duncan’s role in the Heat offense could be similar, I also think Klay’s game has always been much more well-rounded than he’s given credit for.
When Heat were in trouble, there was Bams block and Dunc running around him to gets clear look.
That annoyed me. That wasn’t a good play, rarely successful. I doubt something like that would go well with Klay.
Seems like you are not a fan of movement shooters for some reason. They’re a huge addition to an offense. GSW offense is built around Curry’s movement. Detroit offense had a 122.5 rating with Duncan on the court last year vs just 113.9 off. Klay was even higher in gravity than Duncan as a higher volume shooter. Klay gets this team closer to a high upside shooting team that will be needed in the postseason, plus opens up space every minute he’s out there for the frontcourt to make plays and drive to the rim.
if his d is anyway the shape or form like unc oh sht that is impossible.i got dunc as the worse defender in nba and zerro d not to far behind.i trust pat has seen klays d on film.
My point was he has size and wingspan like Duncan to compensate for lack of quickness on perimeter. He’ll be the weakest link on defense with starters, then THJ and Portis same thing. But a possible difference is they have not been good on defense throughout their careers, while Klay used to be a standout defender.
On offense you can trust the highlights in this case because make or miss he’s still guarded the same way. The value he brings is not just scoring but the gravity/how he’s guarded when on the court.
It’s also interesting he agreed to lose money to be bought out, that’s a big deal imo, doesn’t usually happen and shows how badly he wants to compete for another title.
Once again your eyes telling lies, though it’s really bias convincing yourself of something that isn’t true. Duncan isn’t even in the top 25, but I do see HHH favorite free agent DeRozan at #3. lol Our Timmy Jr at #6.
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/worst-defensive-rating-rankings-2025-2026-nba
EXACTLY!!!! 400+ players in the league, he only regularly focuses on the 14 or 15 on this team, sees deficiencies concerning their defense, and somehow extrapolates that into they’re the worst in that category.
Also, he should look up “what do you call a person who only loves their team when they are winning?” Among the answers are bandwagon and fair weather fan. It’s not me taking a shot at him, it is just the definition of that type of fan.
u can find highlights for anybody rc even jovic.these are the top 450 players in the world.consistency is always the differential between jokic and jovic.we havent seen klay over a whole season play lately.i trust vagi on his remarks.if hes watched him alot.his remarks got me little concerned about older klay.hopefully playing on a contender with a top 3 player will give him the fountain of youth.
Okay, so let’s add that to our file, and when he is hitting those 3s and making other winning plays, I will remind you of this comment. The highlight video documents what he is still able to do at times. He is not GSW Klay for sure. But he is still pedigree Klay that can still hit a shot from anywhere.
B (which isn’t bad for the price).
I like the way Pat waited Dallas out, got his man for nothing. I’m also hoping that the Dallas time was not indicative of what Klay still has to offer, when fully motivated.
Finally, the addition of Klay reassures us that the Heat is committed to surrounding Giannis with the best possible team it can, which also indicates that they will be acquiring a fourteenth player, and fill out this roster. It also may portend that the Heat will continue to try to improve, and improve with a focus on now, whether it will be at the deadline or next season. And by 2027-28 we will have a true contender, well within our window.
Welcome back to relevance.
its only been a few year since quitter left
Yep, it’s a pretty good bounce back happening. Rome wasn’t built in a day and we have to have some patience. But, steady improvement is all we can ask for.
I am a big picture, long term planning type. The new roster didn’t happen magically. Since the Butler debacle, everything Riley and the fo did led directly to this moment. Adding young players with potentially high ceilings to have the assets and cap room to make a move like this. He/fo was never washed or out of touch. They also did something else that fulfilled another promise. It is in a Barry Jackson article that I will cut and paste above.
A lot went right for Riley too. If Dame didn’t get hurt, maybe the Bucks stay closer to contention, and then Giannis doesn’t get moved. And, on our side, Jaimie emerged to have trade value, and Wade and Kaspar both showed enough potential to create a package enticing enough, with Herro and picks, to land the biggest whale of them all. And we were also lucky noone outbid us, which was also due to factors like the Knicks winning it all. So, a lot of things fell together. And now we can start getting excited because we likely will be a playoff team, and who knows what can happen then.
True, but you have to have some luck in any sport, that one play or player that gets you across the finish line.
I celebrate this addition because it was not heralded with much teasing and rumors ringing cacophony.
The news come as calm as Klay Thompson is
Welcome Klay Thompson!
The last addition will be a specialist in the midrange as well as someone who play defense, then team is completely rounded up to go very very deep, come play off time.
Now, we shall count only on Bam but his make shots come mostly from the vertical mid range shots not from the sides or angles.
This trade wont change much in term of the overall success, but it will fix a hole in the team.
A team with Klay and Mitchell starting in frontcourt in not a contender level team, thats for sure, but its a good team. There is a good season in front of us.
klay mitch are backcourt btw.when u have a ss like greek he makes other players around him better.a contender level team we def are,a champ team got a shot.klay brings that champ pedigree also greek and port to that matters.i would say pelle and mitch def not champ bc.my man klay was the batman to steph all those years.pelle is a nice story but i see him as a 7th 8th man type player.imo
Main thing Pelle and Davion lack is name recognition, not ability. Davion, Pelle, Bam lineup had the net rating of a contender last year, +8.6. Some season previews are not even mentioning Pelle in the rotation, and he has a chance to be one of the better players on the team.
pelle is a bench player imo.davin gets more offensive minded could be top 8 pg.before klay trade that was a playin bc at best ck the other roster bcs in east theyd be ranked near bottom
Offensively maybe, but definitely not defensively, where they would be one of the better bc last season.
I think the most important attribute Davion/Pelle backcourt provides is point of attack defense. Top contending teams recently have had that ball pressure and containment ability. Pelle has an offensive ceiling that’s way higher than what he’s shown IMO based on his foul drawing ability. He can also pass, he threw a lot of lobs last year, and cut as well as anyone on the team.
Bringing in another guy with a serious chip on his shoulder like Giannis who wants to win again.
In last seasons highlights check out how closely Klay is guarded, on some shots there are two defenders with hands up contesting his shot. That plus his defense is why Jerry West said he would quit the Warriors if they traded Klay for Kevin Love, who had better stats and was considered the clear upgrade to make at the time. Even without the individual defense now he still has that impact on offense, it’s put into a number now with the gravity stats but it’s the same thing.
I did not know that Klay could play defense.
He was great defensively, would guard all the best PG/SG, that was a key ingredient to the Warriors titles. West said he was one of the most underrated players in the league in 2020. The injuries changed his career trajectory in that sense but he’s stayed competing at a high level because of his mentality.