Klay Thompson may be longing for a return to the West Coast.
The Dallas Mavericks veteran sharpshooter Thompson would “welcome” a return to Los Angeles, Christian Clark of The Athletic reported on Monday. Clark notes that Thompson spent part of his childhood in L.A. and still owns a home there.
Now 36 years old, the five-time NBA All-Star Thompson no longer has much of a place on a Mavericks team that is fully committing to a rebuild. While he is still signed for $17.5 million next season, Thompson is a prime candidate for either a trade or a buyout.
Of the two Los Angeles teams, the Lakers might make more sense for Thompson at this point. He almost signed with the Lakers instead of the Mavericks in 2024 and also has his former teammates Luka Doncic and Quentin Grimes (from Dallas) plus Kevon Looney (from Golden State) to potentially reunite with there.
The Clippers are also an option for Thompson, especially with Bennedict Mathurin still unsigned in restricted free agency. But the Clippers will presumably be more committed to their younger guards (including Kobe Sanders, Jordan Miller, Cam Christie, and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler), making Thompson somewhat of an awkward fit.
Thompson obviously does not have as much to offer these days after averaging just 11.7 points per game on 39/38/77 shooting splits last season. But if a return to Los Angeles is not in the cards here, another marquee destination may also be beckoning for Thompson’s services.
