Mavericks' most logical Klay Thompson trade target is off the board

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic once seemed like he made perfect sense as a player that the Dallas Mavericks could pursue in a Klay Thompson trade this offseason. The Heat are more interested in acquiring Thompson than any other team in the NBA, and Jovic seemed like the most logical player for them to give up in a one-for-one swap.

Jovic's annual salary matches up perfectly with Thompson's expiring contract, he's only 23 years old, and has untapped potential that would fit well on a Mavericks team that is in the middle of retooling around their teenage superstar Cooper Flagg. Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz have been targeting players who seem like they need a fresh start or a bigger role, as shown by their trade for Zaccharie Risacher and Jett Howard signing, and Jovic would be a great next pickup for them.

Heat don't want to trade Nikola Jovic for Klay Thompson

Despite the case for Dallas to chase Jovic in a Thompson trade, the Heat don't want to give him up. They prefer to hold onto him, as he was one of the key players they kept in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.

According to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, "even though the Heat could get creative with a trade offer revolving around 23-year-old forward Nikola Jovic, this doesn't appear to be a scenario Miami wants to see play out." Siegel also added that the Heat "covet" Jovic.

With that in mind, there aren't many deals for Dallas and Miami to discuss without involving a third team. Jovic was the best option for both teams in a trade for Thompson, as the money matches up perfectly and he aligns with Cooper Flagg's timeline.

The only other players that would work in one-for-one trades for Thompson with the Heat are Bobby Portis and Davion Mitchell, and it seems highly unlikely that they would move either player. Mitchell has turned into one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, and they just acquired Portis in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.

Both players are far more valuable than Thompson straight-up, and with Jovic off the table, Dallas' options with Miami are thin.

Who's going to break first?

The potential of Thompson ending up in Miami is going to come down to who's willing to make a compromise. Will the Heat be willing to part with Jovic? Will Dallas give in and buy out Thompson?

Miami wants to keep Jovic and the Mavericks prefer to buy out Thompson instead of trading him, putting this situation at a standstill. Both of those questions will determine what happens with the four-time champion, and Dallas can only hope that the Heat make a compromise and trade Jovic.

Miami needs shooting badly, and Thompson makes too much sense to ignore. Dallas just has to wait for a deal to fall into their lap, but as things stand now, a trade for Jovic is not in the cards.

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