Klay Thompson signed a contract with the Miami Heat, who had waited patiently for weeks for the chance to add the sharpshooter to their reshaped roster.
Thompson, who ranks fourth on the NBA's all-time list for three-pointers made, cleared waivers on Sunday afternoon and wasted no time finalizing a two-year deal worth close to $11.5 million. The second season of the contract is a player option.
The agreement makes sense for both sides for several reasons. Thompson makes no secret of his passion for water and sailing, and the Heat play their home games on the shores of Biscayne Bay. He also has Bahamian ancestry, and the island nation is a short flight from Miami and home to a significant base of Heat fans.
Perhaps most importantly, the Heat knew they wanted to add outside shooting to surround newly acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and starting center Bam Adebayo.
Heat president Pat Riley said Thompson is one of the most iconic players ever to wear an NBA uniform.
Profile and career
Riley described Thompson as a four-time world champion tested in a thousand battles who will fit perfectly into his role as a complete player on both ends of the floor. Riley said people talk about Thompson's scoring ability, but that he brings much more to the game, adding that the Heat are blessed Thompson chose them in their pursuit of championships.
Thompson, a 36-year-old veteran about to begin his 14th season, not counting two he missed to injury, fits that profile well. He has shot 41% from three-point range over his career, and last season marked the eleventh time he made more than 200 three-pointers in a single year.
For context, the Heat have had a player reach 200 three-pointers in a single season only seven times in the franchise's entire history.
Thompson also brings a winning pedigree. He paired with Stephen Curry to form the famous "Splash Brothers" duo at Golden State, leading the Warriors to four NBA championships.
He is a five-time All-Star, holds the league record with 14 three-pointers made in a single game, has made at least 10 threes in a game on nine occasions, and will begin this season just 74 three-pointers behind former Heat guard Ray Allen for third place on the all-time list.
It is the Heat's latest headline move of the summer. They acquired Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee in a trade that sent Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis to the Bucks.
Background in Dallas
The Heat also signed another major long-range threat in Tim Hardaway Jr., who grew up in Miami while his father played for the Heat.
Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks agreed to a contract buyout on Friday, ending a two-year stint that did not turn out the way either side originally envisioned, especially after the Mavericks' stunning trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Thompson had joined Dallas in a sign-and-trade deal with Golden State, giving the Mavericks one of the best three-point shooters in history to complement Doncic and prolific midrange scorer Kyrie Irving.
The high expectations for that trio unraveled after the Mavericks sent Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.
Irving tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee a month later and has not played since. Davis, for his part, was traded to the Washington Wizards just before last season's February trade deadline.
