It may be time for the Miami Heat to put all their chips on the table for Klay Thompson.
Of course, that's assuming that's not something they've already done. With the free-agency market pretty much all dried up, there just aren't the game-changers available that the Heat theoretically need to solidify the supporting cast around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
While signing DeMar DeRozan and/or Bradley Beal could make sense for the Heat, neither of those moves would emphatically quell the concerns that the team's supporting cast has when it comes to shooting and playmaking.
Klay Thompson would be the ultimate needle-mover for the Heat
But that's where an acquisition for Thompson can change things. At this point, it's time for the Heat to explore every avenue to get something done for the elite 3-point marksman.
Sure, it makes the most sense for Miami to wait and see if Thompson is eventually bought out, but even if the Heat needs to explore offering Nikola Jovic and perhaps a future pick in a trade, they may finally be at the point where they should explore every option. After the addition of Giannis, Thompson would be a tremendous encore-level move to help cement this roster as a real threat in the Eastern Conference.
Looking at the landscape as a whole, it's the only plausible move remaining that the Heat's front office could seemingly get done that would also remotely help move the needle for this team.
Thompson is not just a good shooter. He's not just a consistent one either. He's probably in the conversation for the second-best 3-point shooter in NBA history. He's a career 41 percent shooter from 3-point range on nearly eight attempts per game.
That may not seem like an overly impressive percentage, but when you take volume into context, that's pretty outrageous.
He's the type of outside threat that would legitimize this first-year build for the Heat around Giannis.
Klay Thompson would legitimize the Heat's supporting cast
If Miami were to add Thompson, every criticism about the Heat not having enough shooting would quickly be silenced. The Heat already have a few underrated shooting threats on their roster. If they were to add Thompson, it'd get that much better.
Even though Thompson is no longer in the prime of his career, he could be just the player the Heat needs to help push this roster forward. Considering that, if it isn't Thompson as the shooting specialist addition, the Heat would have to take a huge risk with Beal or perhaps take another flier on an Alec Burks-type, as they've done so before, it's pretty clear how important it is for Miami to get serious about finding a path to Thompson.
In fact, I'd argue that there really isn't any other alternative.
If it wasn't clear before, it certainly is now. If Miami wants to be taken as a serious threat in the Eastern Conference this season, it must find a path to Thompson. No matter the cost.
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