One analyst interpreted his livestream comments as a ‘bat signal’ for the Miami Heat. Klay Thompson made the union official not through a trade, but through a buyout and a fresh contract worth a fraction of what remained on his Dallas deal.

At his introductory Heat press conference, Thompson was asked why he prioritized winning over maximizing his earnings in free agency.

“That’s a good question,” he said. “I would say that’s the opportunity to play high-level basketball throughout the season, and a chance to make a deep postseason run. Those things were so attractive to me, and obviously you want to maximize your earning potential as an athlete.”

“I’ve tasted winning before and there’s really nothing like it,” he added. “And it’s even just like, even getting there and failing is better than not even having a shot at it. I’m just saying the opportunity to win again at a very high level was so attractive to me, and looking at the roster, it looked like a great fit – as far as me being able to space the floor and attack from the perimeter and have great help defenders behind me, especially at this stage of my career.”

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Thompson is walking into a Heat team with real Finals aspirations after Miami landed superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, a deal that sent All-Star guard Tyler Herro the other way. And with All-Star Norman Powell also gone via free agency, there’s a real opening for Thompson to matter this season. So, he spent much of the presser detailing how he expects to complement Miami’s new centerpiece, Antetokounmpo.

“He’s one of the best players of all time and a two-time MVP,” Thompson said. “Obviously he is a special talent, and great respect for him and what he’s been able to accomplish and how he’s gotten better every season. I think we can both just help each other, not just him, but the whole team.”

Klay Thompson had his sights set on Miami, and getting there meant walking away from Dallas first. We now have a clearer picture of the price he paid to make that happen. A day after the Dallas Mavericks confirmed their buyout agreement with Thompson, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the four-time champion left roughly $9.8 million on the table to get the deal done. That’s no small sacrifice.

Per Spotrac, Thompson was due $17,460,317 in the final year of the three-year, $50 million contract he signed back in 2024. Walking away from $9.8 million of that means he gave up more than half of his scheduled salary for the 2026-27 season just to clear his path to Miami.

Still, plenty of fans can’t quite picture Thompson closing out his career anywhere but the Bay Area. He spent 13 years in Golden State, won four titles, made five All-Star teams, and formed one of the most lethal shooting duos the league has ever seen alongside Stephen Curry. But then came the ACL tear in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, which reshaped the rest of his career. Then an Achilles injury followed during his recovery, costing him even more time.

Upon returning, the flashes were obvious, but so was the drop-off. A defender once considered among the league’s best at his position no longer had that edge, and he even cycled through stretches coming off the bench. By 2024, Thompson had moved on, signing with Dallas to play alongside Luka Doncic on what looked like a contender.

That plan unraveled almost immediately once the Mavericks shipped Doncic out in one of the more jarring trades in recent NBA history. Thompson never found consistent footing after that, and last season was rough, as he was boxed into a bench role, had career-worst averages of 11.7 points per game on 39.3% shooting. His name floated around trade rumors most of the year.

He wanted out, and the price of leaving was steep. But if it offered Thompson a chance to go out on his own terms, while proving that he can still help a real contender, he was ready to pay it all.