Klay Thompson to Miami: A Risk Worth Taking for the Heat?

Klay Thompson has officially signed with the Miami Heat.

While Thompson is no longer the same player he was during his prime with the Golden State Warriors, he does bring something Miami needs: three-point shooting and spacing.

That has been the main argument from fans who support the move. If the Heat can use Thompson in a role like the ones Duncan Robinson and Max Strus played in Miami—primarily moving around the perimeter, creating space, and taking threes—the signing could work out well.

Thompson spent the past two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. Those numbers are noticeably lower than the averages he posted during his 11 seasons with the Warriors, where he averaged 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game.

Of course, that isn't a surprise. Thompson is no longer in his prime, and his role in Dallas was much different from the one he had while playing alongside Stephen Curry in Golden State.

The encouraging part, however, is that his shooting percentages have remained relatively strong. Over his two seasons with the Mavericks, Thompson shot 38.7% from three-point range and 85.1% from the free-throw line.

For Miami, that's what matters most.

If Thompson can continue shooting at a high percentage from beyond the arc, he could become a valuable spacing weapon for the Heat. With defenses likely focusing much of their attention on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thompson should have opportunities to get open looks. And if he starts knocking down threes consistently, defenses will have to respect him, which could create even more chances for Giannis and the rest of Miami's offense to dominate.

If Thompson finds a way to shoot closer to the level he did during his prime with Golden State, the impact could be even greater. A defense cannot simply collapse on Giannis if one of the best three-point shooters of his generation is on the perimeter.

But that is also where my concern with this signing comes in.

Thompson's main value at this stage of his career is his shooting. If he is not consistently making threes, the spacing argument loses its value. He is not the same all-around player he once was, so Miami is largely betting on his ability to continue being an effective perimeter shooter.

Personally, grabbing Thompson off waivers from Dallas was another move I’m not fully on board with—similar to how I feel about the Heat trading for Giannis. I would have preferred Miami to sign DeMar DeRozan in free agency instead of bringing in Thompson.

Part of my skepticism comes from watching him closely with the Mavericks, who are my second-favorite NBA team behind the Heat. For much of his time in Dallas, Thompson felt unnoticeable. There were stretches where I, along with plenty of other people, forgot he was even on the team.

That doesn't mean he can't still contribute to the Heat.

Miami doesn't need Thompson to become the player who averaged nearly 20 points per game with the Warriors. They need him to do what he does best: knock down threes, provide spacing, and make opposing defenses pay for giving him too much room.

If that's the version of Klay Thompson the Heat get, this move could end up working out better than I expect.

I don’t fully agree with the decision to bring him to Miami, but hopefully I’m proven wrong.