Now that LeBron James has officially signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat have shifted to their next top free-agent priority. According to recent reporting, that's Klay Thompson. In theory, Thompson would be an excellent fit next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
Of course, there's one problem with that. Thompson isn't currently a free agent, and the path to that happening is not clear.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, securing a successful path to Thompson, especially one that doesn't include a trade, could be difficult for Miami, or any other team for that matter. Stein notes that while teams, including the Heat, may be hoping that Thompson becomes a free agent via buyout, the Mavs continue to maintain that they prefer to trade him.
And, at least for now, it doesn't appear they're willing to pivot from this stance.
“Little has changed — yet — from what we reported about Klay Thompson in mid-July. Miami and other teams are certainly hoping Thompson becomes a free agent by securing a buyout from Dallas, but the Mavericks — to this point — have indicated that they prefer to trade the four-time champion sharpshooter if possible.”
Klay Thompson may be more of a pipe dream than a realistic target for the Heat
What does this all mean? Well, it's pretty simple. Even though the Heat are making Thompson out to be their top target after missing out on LeBron, finding a path toward getting this move done will be difficult, if not downright impossible. For now.
Especially if the Mavs are not interested in helping Thompson secure a buyout for the time being.
Miami desperately needs an elite shooter or playmaker to add to their current roster. Those are two of the bigger questions that still remain after the Heat's big splash this offseason. Even after adding Tim Hardaway Jr. to open free agency, the Heat still lacks more shooting on the wing.
Thompson would greatly help the Heat solidify that concern. And while it's understandable that Miami would make Thompson a top target, the fact that he's not currently available via free agency just complicates everything so much more for this team.
How long are the Heat willing to wait for Klay Thompson?
How long are they willing to hold out for the possibility of Thompson? At what point do they decide to pivot, if at all? Now that LeBron has made his decision, you'd imagine it's going to help clear out the rest of the free-agency market.
If that does end up happening, the Heat will need to fill out the rest of their roster pretty soon. But if they continue to wait for Thompson, that's going to put the coaching staff in an increasingly difficult situation.
Nevertheless, the Heat has a decision to make soon. But if Thompson is indeed considered their "top target," how could they not wait this out? If they do, it will just bring in another layer of risk heading into the first year of the Giannis build.
Add us as a preferred source on Google