NBA Rumors: This is the battle to acquire Klay Thompson

The Los Angeles Lakers still have the possibility of acquiring Klay Thompson, although the Miami Heat seem to be one step ahead in the race for the four-time NBA champion.

As insider Marc Stein reported on Sunday night, Miami is “at the front of the line” among the teams interested in having Dallas Mavericks waive Thompson's contract, which is entering its final season. Stein also noted that Dallas' new president of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, has held direct conversations with the player about his future, which is still undetermined.

The Mavericks have not made a final decision on a potential waiver. Since June, the organization has stated its preference to trade Thompson and get something in return rather than pay the four-time champion so he can join another title contender.

Two sources familiar with the process consulted by Stein acknowledged that it is still unclear how the situation will end.

For the Lakers, this uncertainty keeps a possibility open that emerged in the past and could reignite an attempt to sign that was very close to being finalized two summers ago.

The Lakers previously tried to sign Thompson

The Lakers were one of the teams that pushed hardest for Thompson when he left Golden State in 2024. According to reports at the time, Los Angeles even offered him a four-year, $80 million contract through a possible sign-and-trade.

However, Thompson ultimately accepted a three-year, $50 million deal from Dallas. The player believed that the Mavericks, who were the reigning Western Conference champions at the time, offered him a clearer path to his fifth ring, while the chance to play alongside Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving also influenced his decision.

Two years later, the scenario has completely changed.

Dončić is now the main reference for the Lakers after his surprising trade to Los Angeles in February 2025. LeBron James, on the other hand, left for Philadelphia this summer, giving the franchise more flexibility to build around their 27-year-old star.

Meanwhile, Dallas has missed the playoffs in the last two seasons and is restructuring its roster around Cooper Flagg with Dusty May as the new coach.

Thompson would be willing to return home and play for the Lakers, as reported by The Athletic's Christian Clark. The player was born in Los Angeles, grew up following the franchise, and has strong family ties to Southern California.

His father, Mychal Thompson, a former Lakers player and current radio analyst for the team, has also never hidden his desire for his son to finish his career in Los Angeles.

“The ship is right there in Marina del Rey. His house is five or ten minutes from the training facilities in Hermosa Beach. Everything was perfect for him to finish his career here,” Mychal Thompson stated last year.

Klay's father continues to try to persuade him to take the step and sign with the Lakers.

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Waiving the contract, the most realistic route for Los Angeles

Thompson will earn $17.46 million during the final year of his contract. For the Lakers, acquiring him through a trade would require sending a significant amount of salary to Dallas, an unattractive operation for a franchise with limited resources in terms of draft picks and already having 16 players under contract.

A waiver would completely change the scenario. The Lakers could try to acquire Thompson without parting ways with any rotation player, although their offer would likely be limited, with Miami representing serious competition.

At 36 years old, Thompson averaged the lowest scoring of his entire career last season, with 11.7 points per game. However, he made 202 triples and ended with a 38.3% three-point shooting percentage.

His ability to create shots on the move would naturally fit alongside Dončić and Austin Reaves, as it would help create space without Thompson needing to monopolize the ball.

“I want to compete for a championship, not necessarily win it, but simply have the opportunity to go for another one. I want to play a role in a team that can make a deep run in the playoffs. Whether it's this season or the next one. That's really my only goal,” Thompson explained during a Twitch broadcast with PlaqueBoyMax.

Dallas has not yet decided its future

The Mavericks need to trim their roster from 16 standard contracts to 15 by October 19, but this necessity does not necessarily mean that Thompson will be the player to be let go.

The fact that Ujiri has spoken directly with the veteran shows that Dallas is still evaluating different alternatives before making a final decision.

Two years ago, Luka Dončić was one of the reasons that helped convince Thompson to choose Dallas over Los Angeles. If the Mavericks ultimately decide to waive his contract, that same star could now become the main reason for Thompson to change course and, this time, return home.

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