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Heat’s 6-foot-10 forward linked to Mavericks amid Klay Thompson talks
Heat’s 6-foot-10 forward linked to Mavericks amid Klay Thompson talks originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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The Dallas Mavericks face a complex cap sheet structure heading into the 2026–27 season. Having exhausted a significant amount of draft capital in prior seasons, the front office operates with a highly constrained asset pool.
This is a massive problem because they have a very short window to build a winner around Cooper Flagg while he’s still cheap on his rookie contract.
Because assets are so thin, Dallas can’t afford to just dump Klay Thompson to clear his salary. They need to get a real player back. That’s where Miami Heat ’s Nikola Jovic comes into play.
Thompson is making about $17.5 million in the final year of his contract. Since an elite sharpshooter always has value in the NBA, Dallas has made it clear they want to trade him rather than buy him out, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
Miami has been chasing Thompson harder than anyone else, looking at both trades and buyouts. Because the Heat want him so badly, it opens a perfect door for Dallas to demand Jovic as the centerpiece of any trade package.
Jovic, 23, checks the biggest box for this trade. His $16.2 million salary matches Thompson's contract almost dollar-for-dollar. That means a straight swap works perfectly, without adding extra bench players just to make the money match.
The 6-foot-10 forward recently signed a four-year, $62.4 million extension with Miami. Last season, he averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists. His numbers dipped a bit because his role shrank, but his size and shooting touch are exactly what Dallas needs next to Flagg.
Since the Mavs' asset chest is basically empty right now, landing the 23-year-old on a solid contract is a massive win. If Dallas can get him, and maybe convince Miami to throw in a draft pick, it makes a trade totally worth it instead of just letting Thompson walk for nothing in a buyout.
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Miami Heat’s 'obsession' with Klay Thompson faces Mavericks roadblock
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