Mavericks buy out Klay Thompson's final contract year, freeing $17.5 million in cap space

The Dallas Mavericks completed a buyout of guard Klay Thompson's final year of a three-year, $50 million contract on Friday, removing a $17.5 million salary from their roster. Thompson, now 37, is expected to sign a two-year, $13 million deal with the Miami Heat.

Dallas was unable to find a trade partner for Thompson because few teams have both the cap space and the willingness to absorb his salary, which limits interest to clubs already near the luxury-tax threshold. The Mavericks also faced a roster limit of 15 guaranteed contracts, making the buyout the only viable option.

The move leaves the Mavericks roughly $2.2 million under the luxury-tax line and reduces their projected 2026-27 payroll by between $3.9 million and $6.5 million, while keeping them over the soft cap but under both the tax apron and the luxury-tax ceiling.