Heat's Klay Thompson pursuit might force a Mavericks trade

The Dallas Mavericks have been exploring trades for Klay Thompson for multiple weeks now, but several teams are hoping that Dallas buys out their sharpshooter and allows him to hit free agency. The Los Angeles Lakers are in the mix, as they would like to reunite Thompson with Luka Doncic, but the team that has had the most interest in Thompson this summer is the Miami Heat.

They're being persistent with their interest in Thompson, and this could work out in the Mavericks' favor. While the Heat prefer a buyout, their desperation could eventually force them to abandon this stance, bite the bullet, and make a trade.

The Heat really want Klay Thompson

Miami traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier this offseason, and they need more shooting around him after trading Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis to get the Greek Freak. This makes Thompson a perfect fit, but the Heat still don't seem ready to make a trade. They still want the Mavericks to buy him out, but their extremely high interest in Thompson could lead to a trade before training camp.

"Miami continues to sit at the front of the line of teams hoping that Dallas buys out Klay Thompson," Marc Stein reported. "The Heat this week missed out on well-known target when Beal elected to re-sign with the Clippers."

Bradley Beal signing with the LA Clippers could help the Mavericks find a deal for Thompson, but the biggest driving force may be the Heat's desperation. Their interest in adding Thompson has been noted for weeks, and if they want him badly enough, they're going to make a trade for him.

Why the Mavericks could force the Heat into a trade

The Mavericks have stood pat on their preference to trade Thompson rather than buy him out, and Thompson ending up in Miami or remaining in Dallas could come down to who's more willing to make a compromise between the Heat and Mavs. Dallas has no reason to buy out Thompson other than to do right by him after two disappointing seasons, but Miami has every reason to trade for him.

They just gave up some of their best role players and significant draft capital to bring in Antetokounmpo, and they can't afford to waste a season with him on the roster. The Heat have to put more complementary players around him if they want any chance of making a deep playoff run, and someone like Thompson could push them over the top.

He's made the fourth-most 3-pointers of all time, trailing only Ray Allen, James Harden, and Stephen Curry. Thompson also has plenty of playoff experience, as he has played in 158 playoff games over nine seasons. This is equal to nearly two seasons.

If Miami traded for Thompson, they'd be getting a veteran leader who leads by example and one of the greatest shooters to ever play. He's far too talented for the Mavericks to just give up on him and buy him out, and while this is what the Heat prefer, they could get impatient and trade for him instead of crossing their fingers for a buyout.

Their strong hope for a buyout could be what ultimately pushes them over the edge to make a trade for him, and Dallas is in a better spot than they're given credit for.

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