Klay Thompson entered free agency in 2024 in need of a fresh start for his future. After missing two seasons with back-to-back ACL and Achilles injuries, he struggled to return to his “Splash Brother” prime. His scoring average dropped from 22.5 points per game to 17.9, while his three-point percentage fell from 44% to 38.7%. As a result, the team moved him to the bench, and Brandin Podziemski took over much of his production and minutes. Then came the Dallas Mavericks.
Fresh off their first NBA Finals appearance in 13 years, the Mavericks built around perennial All-Stars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. Dallas needed consistent three-point shooting after the issue plagued them during the Finals. Thompson appeared to offer an immediate solution. With the team seemingly one piece away from a title, the Mavericks sold Thompson on a revitalized future alongside two of the league’s best facilitators. However, less than two years later, Thompson once again finds his future uncertain. The team he was promised is now a fond memory. Klay Thompson’s future in Dallas is bleak. What comes next for the four-time NBA Champion?
Klay Thompson’s Future In Dallas Is Fading Away
Thompson’s Season So Far
This season, Thompson averages 11.5 points per game while shooting just 38.7% from the field and 37.8% from three-point range. Because of those struggles, the Mavericks’ front office has begun difficult conversations about the future of the roster. At the same time, Dallas has embraced a youth movement centered around Cooper Flagg. Meanwhile, Khris Middleton appears likely to remain in Dallas next season. Consequently, Thompson now finds himself on the outside looking in, left alongside visions of what might have been.
So, as the Mavericks turn their attention to Thompson’s future, what options do they have to move on from an underperforming shooting guard with a championship pedigree? Let’s take a closer look.
The Money
In 2024, Thompson signed a three-year deal worth a guaranteed $50 million with the Dallas Mavericks. Now, with one year remaining, Thompson holds a player option worth $17.46 million for next season. However, his declining production no longer aligns with Dallas’ long-term plan.
At the trade deadline, the Mavericks signaled a clear priority: create flexibility and open space for the future. If Dallas chooses to buy out Thompson’s contract, the move could free cap room for younger talent this offseason. Still, a buyout isn’t the only path forward. According to reports, Dallas quietly fielded trade offers for Thompson near the deadline, and league sources expect those conversations to resume this summer.
In other words, the Mavericks appear ready to move on — the question is how.
Potential Suitor: Los Angeles Lakers
Thompson didn’t come to Dallas to ride out a rebuild. At 36, the four-time champion still wants one more shot at a title.
That pursuit could point him toward Los Angeles.
A reunion with championship expectations alongside Dončić might be gone in Dallas, but the Lakers could offer a new path to contention. Speaking on ESPN LA’s Mason and Ireland Show, broadcaster John Ireland suggested the interest would be immediate.
“If Klay got bought out, I have it on good authority that the first call his agent would make would be the Lakers.”
There’s a catch, though.
Los Angeles currently sits above the league’s first-apron luxury tax threshold, which prevents the team from signing a buyout player who previously earned more than the $12.8 million mid-level exception. That restriction complicates the scenario and makes a trade — not a buyout — the more realistic path.
If discussions between Dallas and Los Angeles gain traction, expect the Mavericks to push for young assets. One name that would almost certainly enter the conversation: Dalton Knecht.
The Reality
It’s easy to feel for Thompson here. However, the NBA moves quickly.
Thompson’s future may still have one final push toward the NBA Finals left. The next chapter of that chase, however, almost certainly won’t happen in Dallas.
Featured Image: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
