Klay Thompson signs two-year deal with Miami Heat after waivers clearance
Veteran guard Klay Thompson, 36, joined the Miami Heat on a two-year contract with a player option for the second year, adding veteran shooting to a roster built around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Klay Thompson cleared waivers on Sunday and signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Miami Heat, according to a league source. The second year of the deal is a player option and includes a 15 percent trade kicker.
The 36-year-old guard, a five-time All-Star and fourth-all-time in NBA history for three-pointers made, is expected to provide floor spacing for forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and center Bam Adebayo. Thompson averaged a career-low 11.7 points per game with the Dallas Mavericks last season, shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three-point range.
"Klay is one of the most iconic players to ever suit up in the NBA," Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. "A four-time battle-tested world champion who will fit perfectly into his role as an all-around player at both ends of the court. We all talk about his shooting skill, but there is so much more he brings to the game. We are blessed that Klay chose the Heat in our quest to challenge for championships."
Thompson spent the previous two seasons with Dallas, where he moved to a bench role for the first time since his rookie year. Miami also added frontcourt depth by acquiring Bobby Portis from Milwaukee and signing sharpshooting wing Tim Hardaway Jr., who posted a career-best three-point percentage with the Denver Nuggets.
The Heat, who face a competitive Eastern Conference, open the regular season at home on Oct. 21 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and will meet the Mavericks five nights later.