Shams: Klay Thompson to sign 2-year deal with Heat

Thompson’s departure from the Mavericks comes with a price. However, the veteran sharpshooter will now move on to the next chapter of his career, which will reportedly be with the Miami Heat. In joining the Heat, Thompson would likely come off the bench and play an important floor-spacing role for a team that could use all the three-point shooting possible. Thompson averaged 11.7 points and shot 38.3 percent from deep last season with Dallas.

Added via sign-and-trade ahead of the 2024-25 season, Thompson’s first two seasons in Dallas have not gone as planned. While his 38.7 percent mark from three is respectable, that is nearly four percentage points lower than his number with the Warriors. Also, the Mavericks have not been a contender in Thompson’s two seasons, especially after former lead executive Nico Harrison decided to trade Luka Dončić to the Lakers. With 16 players on standard contracts and a new lead executive, Masai Ujiri, calling the shots, it’s unsurprising that the Mavericks would reportedly explore the market for Thompson. In July, it was reported that Miami had interest in Thompson, potentially adding another shooter to play off of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

Even with the signing of Tim Hardaway Jr., the Heat need more wing scoring to supplement a roster now headlined by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. As a result, Thompson is said to be a player of interest to the franchise, despite his struggles over two seasons in Dallas. He is still one of the best perimeter shooters in NBA history and can provide the spacing needed to create cleaner driving lanes for players like Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. It was also noted that the Heat’s interest is not contingent on them signing LeBron James in free agency. However, to make something happen, Thompson would need to be bought out of the final year of his current contract, which is worth $17.5 million.

Larsson improved during his second NBA season, averaging 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 0.9 three-pointers in 26.4 minutes per game. There were moments when he possessed streaming value, but the role was not robust enough to make him a must-roster in most fantasy leagues. Even if he continues to come off the bench, Larsson may take on a larger role in 2026-27 in the aftermath of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Among the players Miami parted with in the deal was Jaime Jaquez Jr., runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year.

Larsson is good to go after being listed as questionable on the injury report initially released by the Heat on Monday evening. He’ll figure prominently in the Heat wing rotation, whether he starts or comes off the bench. In four games against the Hornets during the regular season, Larsson averaged 15.3 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the field.

Larsson is listed as questionable with a right lower leg contusion. Nikola Jovic (ankle) and Dru Smith (foot) are out, but otherwise the Heat have a healthy roster heading into the Play-In Tournament.

Thompson played just over 10 minutes in Sunday’s season finale, and that was enough time for him to add another accomplishment to his career résumé. With his four three-pointers, the veteran sharpshooter finished with 202 on the season. Thompson has 11 seasons with at least 200 three-pointers; only Stephen Curry (13) has more. Klay is under contract for the 2026-27 season, but the days of him being a must-roster player in fantasy leagues are in the rear-view mirror.

Added to the injury report earlier Sunday, Larsson is now out for the Heat’s regular-season finale. Norman Powell is still questionable with a sore right groin. If he can play, he’ll absorb most of the minutes that would have gone to Larsson. If not, then Keshad Johnson should take on a more prominent role within the rotation.

Absent from the initial injury report released by the Heat, Larsson is dealing with a lower right leg contusion. If he’s unable to play, Keshad Johnson and Myron Gardner could see their minutes increase. Johnson, who played legitimate rotation minutes in Friday’s win over the Wizards, is the superior option for managers in active fantasy leagues.

Despite Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell being out, Larsson came off the bench on Friday. The change in role did not negatively impact his ability to provide value, with the second-year wing’s 24 points being the most in a game for him since March 12, when he scored 28 against the Bucks. Miami will have something to play for on Sunday, as it can jump Charlotte for ninth with a win over the Hawks and a Hornets loss to the Knicks.