Washington State Professional Athletes

Klay Thompson is done chasing rings in Dallas. The Washington State alumnus agreed to a buyout with the Mavericks this week and quickly signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Miami Heat — a lean deal that speaks loudly about his priorities heading into the 2026–27 season.

The move instantly became one of the offseason's defining storylines. Thompson, a four-time NBA champion, passed on what reports indicate was a push from the Los Angeles Lakers — including a pitch to play alongside Luka Dončić — and chose Miami instead. His father, Mychal Thompson, shed light on the decision, explaining that Klay prioritized a situation built around winning rather than market size or money. Thompson himself confirmed as much, saying publicly he chose the Heat because he wanted a genuine opportunity to compete for a title.

The Giannis Factor

The Heat's recent acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo was central to Thompson's calculus. He spoke enthusiastically about teaming up with Giannis and Bam Adebayo, and pointed to coach Erik Spoelstra as another major draw — a belief that Miami's system and culture were the right fit for what he brings at this stage of his career. Thompson has embraced comparisons to Ray Allen's late-career run with the Heat, calling out the parallel himself and saying he appreciates the historical echo.

Early returns on the vibe check: Thompson noted that Miami's climate already has his joints feeling good — a lighthearted but telling sign that he's comfortable in his new surroundings.

Shade Thrown, Expectations Set

Thompson didn't leave Dallas quietly. After the buyout was finalized, he took a pointed shot at the Mavericks organization, making clear his tenure there didn't go as hoped. The departure closes a difficult chapter following his exit from Golden State.

Meanwhile, former teammate Draymond Green offered a more cautious take. Green pushed back against what he called inflated media expectations, warning that setting the bar too high for Thompson in Miami was a setup for unnecessary criticism — drawing the Ray Allen comparison himself as a model for what realistic success looks like. Green also raised questions about how Thompson's personality would mesh with the famously demanding "Heat Culture."

Those concerns haven't tempered Thompson's own ambitions. He set high expectations for himself and the team ahead of next season, and the Heat's front office appears to be building around the moment — the team also added center Nick Richards to shore up frontcourt depth following the Thompson signing.

The Bigger Picture for Cougar Alumni

Thompson remains the most prominent Washington State alumnus in the NBA, and this move keeps him squarely in the championship conversation. While Mouhamed Gueye (Hawks), Isaac Jones (Pistons), and Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies) continue to develop on their respective rosters, Thompson is operating in an entirely different stratosphere — betting the final chapter of his career on one more run at the title.

If Spoelstra can deploy him the way Doc Rivers once deployed Allen, the comparison may end up being less cautionary tale and more blueprint.

Klay Thompson is heading to South Beach — and he paid a significant price to get there.

The Washington State alumnus agreed to a contract buyout with the Dallas Mavericks this week, forfeiting $9.8 million of his 2026–27 salary in the process, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. The four-time NBA champion is expected to sign with the Miami Heat on a deal reportedly worth $13 million, reuniting him with a contender built around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

The Exit from Dallas

Thompson was owed $17 million for the upcoming season, but the Mavericks — in the midst of a roster overhaul centered around top pick Cooper Flagg — had little use for the veteran sharpshooter at that price. Despite direct talks between Thompson and Mavericks president Masai Ujiri, a trade never materialized. Dallas ultimately agreed to eat the difference and move on, netting virtually nothing of value in exchange. Yahoo Sports noted the outcome is one of the lingering remnants of the front office's prior roster-building approach under Nico Harrison.

Thompson had one season in Dallas after departing Golden State, a tenure that failed to deliver the postseason success he sought when he passed on other suitors — including, notably, the Lakers — in 2024.

The Miami Fit

The Heat had been maneuvering toward this outcome for weeks, passing on Bradley Beal and DeMar DeRozan to preserve the financial flexibility needed to absorb Thompson post-buyout. The strategic patience paid off.

Thompson slots into Miami as the primary floor-spacing option alongside Antetokounmpo, addressing what CBS Sports described as the Heat's most pressing need: shooting. Seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson endorsed the fit publicly, arguing Thompson's off-ball movement and shot-making make him ideally suited for a team that now has a true superstar to create attention in the paint.

The move also drew some good-natured commentary from former Warriors teammate Draymond Green, who issued a tongue-in-cheek warning to Thompson about upgrading his famous boat to match the "305 aesthetic."

The Bigger Picture for Wazzu Alumni

Thompson remains the most prominent Washington State product in the NBA, and at 35, this move looks like a calculated bet on one more championship run rather than a payday. The Heat are clearly building to compete, and Thompson — four rings, a career defined by elite shooting and multiple All-Star appearances, and one of the purest shooting strokes in NBA history — gives them a proven commodity in high-leverage moments.

The other Cougar alumni around the league — Mouhamed Gueye (Hawks), Isaac Jones (Pistons), and Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies) — had no notable activity during the period, leaving Thompson firmly in the spotlight as WSU's standard-bearer in the Association heading into the 2026–27 season.

Washington State's most decorated NBA alumnus is at the center of the summer's most compelling trade saga — and Klay Thompson isn't pretending otherwise.

The Dallas Mavericks guard has made his ambitions plain: he wants to compete for a championship and make a deep playoff run. That candor, reported by Bleacher Report amid swirling Heat trade rumors, has effectively functioned as a trade request, leaving Dallas navigating an awkward situation as it tries to build around Cooper Flagg and a returning Kyrie Irving.

The Field

Four franchises are now in some form of pursuit, each with a different path to landing Thompson.

Miami holds the clearest edge in the trade sweepstakes, per The Sporting News, with Thompson potentially slotting in as an immediate starter alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Heat's leverage is real — they have the roster infrastructure to make a deal work — but talks have hit a wall over one name. Miami refuses to include Nikola Jovic in any package, and Dallas, holding Thompson's contract, has maintained enough leverage to keep pushing. The Mavericks reportedly feel they're in the right to demand more, making this standoff the central friction point of the entire saga.

Los Angeles is circling as well, with the Lakers monitoring Thompson's situation closely. Updates from that front remain thin, but Thompson's history with LA — and the franchise's perennial star-chasing posture — keeps them relevant in the conversation.

Golden State offers the most emotionally loaded option. The Warriors, per The Sporting News, would welcome Thompson back "with open arms" — though their preferred route is a buyout rather than a trade, which would require Dallas to eat salary and get nothing in return. That's a steep ask, and the Mavericks have little incentive to facilitate a reunion tour on the Warriors' terms.

The Mavericks' Bind

Dallas's position is genuinely uncomfortable. Thompson is openly angling for the exit, his trade value is real but depreciating with every passing week of drama, and the franchise is trying to protect its competitive window around Flagg and Irving. Holding firm has merit — Mavericks leadership appears unwilling to be steamrolled — but prolonged standoffs rarely end with the holding team winning.

The Bottom Line

Thompson's "only goal," as he's framed it, is a ring. At this stage of his career, that framing leaves Dallas as an obstacle rather than a destination — and the Mavericks know it. Whether this resolves via trade to Miami, a buyout that opens the door for Golden State or the Lakers, or a reluctant Thompson returning to camp, the resolution will shape the competitive landscape of the Western Conference.

For Cougar fans, the drama is worth watching closely. Thompson remains one of the most accomplished shooters in NBA history, and whatever uniform he ends up in next, the WSU faithful will have a rooting interest in his final championship run.

No other Washington State alumni had significant NBA news during this period.

It's the NBA offseason saga that won't quit — and at the center of it is a Washington State Cougar.

Klay Thompson, the four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star who starred in Pullman before becoming one of the league's most decorated shooters, finds himself in an uncomfortable limbo heading into the week of August 2. The Dallas Mavericks are actively shopping him, the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat are circling, and nobody can agree on the terms that get a deal done.

The Mavericks' Leverage Play

Dallas isn't in a hurry to cut Thompson loose cheaply. According to Yahoo Sports, the Mavericks are "very resistant" to granting a buyout, well aware that Lakers and Heat interest would make Thompson a sought-after free agent the moment he hit the open market. The front office's preference, per multiple reports, is a trade — one that nets Dallas actual assets rather than nothing. With the franchise pivoting toward a youth movement built around No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, Thompson's veteran contract has become a chip to be cashed in, not honored.

That posture is frustrating for both suitor teams. The Sporting News reported that Lakers and Heat executives have received "troubling" and "brutal" updates suggesting a clean resolution isn't imminent. Both clubs want Thompson, but neither appears willing to surrender the kind of return Dallas is demanding to part ways on their terms.

The Family Angle

Adding a tabloid-ready subplot: Mychal Thompson, Klay's father and the Lakers' radio color commentator, has made no secret of his rooting interest. The elder Thompson — a former Laker himself — confirmed to The Sporting News that he is actively recruiting his son to come to Los Angeles. He was publicly "really disappointed" when Klay chose Dallas over the Lakers in free agency back in 2024, per the LA Times, and those feelings haven't faded.

It's a unique dynamic. The Mavericks' trade asset happens to have a prominent Lakers booster in his own household.

Where Does Klay Land?

Bleacher Report, citing The Athletic's Christian Clark, identified the Heat as a legitimate landing spot with real momentum. Meanwhile, Yahoo Sports notes that the Mavericks' long-term vision is clear — Cooper Flagg is the franchise cornerstone, and Thompson's role in that future is, at best, undefined. A reunion with Luka Dončić in Los Angeles has drawn nostalgic buzz league-wide, though the basketball and financial logistics remain knotty.

Thompson is in the final year of his Mavericks deal, which means if no trade materializes, this situation drags into the season itself — a distraction neither Dallas nor Thompson likely wants.

The Other Cougars

Thompson dominates the WSU alumni headlines this week, but he's not the only Coug in the league. Jaylen Wells continues to develop with the Memphis Grizzlies at small forward, Mouhamed Gueye holds down a roster spot with the Atlanta Hawks, and Isaac Jones is in the mix for the Detroit Pistons frontcourt. None generated significant news this period — all eyes, understandably, remain fixed on No. 11.

For Washington State fans, Thompson's situation is appointment viewing. However it resolves — trade, buyout, or a surprising Mavericks stay — the most famous Cougar in the NBA is about to find out where the next chapter gets written.