The Dallas Mavericks have re-shaped their front office this week with the acquisitions of Masai Ujiri and most recently Mike Schmitz, with the pair now set to make a decision on the future of Golden State Warriors legend Klay Thompson.
Plenty of options could be on the table in relation to Thompson this offseason, but the 5x All-Star will surely be trying to avoid a buyout with the Mavericks to help his longevity in the league.
Klay Thompson should want to avoid a buyout at all costs this offseason
According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points back in February, a buyout could be a genuine possibility for Thompson as he enters the third and final year of the contract he signed to depart the Warriors in 2024.
“Other than (Daniel) Gafford, the one big name that we should try to keep an eye on, whether it's a buyout in the offseason or a potential trade, is Klay Thompson," Siegel said.
On one hand, completing a buyout would allow Thompson to enter unrestricted free agency and pick a new destination that would be far more appealing than what's happened in Dallas following the Luka Doncic trade last year. Who knows, perhaps a reunion with the Warriors could be in the works.
Yet the downside to that is Thompson would almost certainly have to sign a minimum contract for his new team, or perhaps at best the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Doing so can be a disastrous move for veterans late in their career because from that point forward, you're basically conceding that you won't make any more than that on subsequent deals.
Is Thompson at the point where he wants to be a minimum, or near-minimum level player? He may be at 36-years-old, but he'd surely want to extend his career as long as possible after missing two full years in his prime due to devastating leg injuries.
Klay Thompson trade could happen this offseason
Thompson should be angling for a trade to a desirable destination rather than a buyout, albeit he holds less control in the former scenario. The complicated aspect is the 4x NBA champion is still set to make $17.5 million next season, and there might not be too many teams eager on him at that price point.
Thompson has now transitioned back into a full-time bench player, averaging career-lows across the boards in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage with the Mavericks this season.
He should still hold some interest from contending teams after posting 11.7 points on 38.3% 3-point shooting this season, but exactly how Thompson departs the Mavericks this summer (if at all) remains to be seen.
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