Miami Heat Sign Four-Time NBA Champion Klay Thompson

The Miami Heat added a champion to their roster on Aug. 24, signing four-time NBA Champion shooting guard Klay Thompson.

Thompson spent the last two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks; his contract was bought out last week. He now joins the Heat as a pure shooter to complement their loaded frontcourt.

“Klay is one of the most iconic players to ever suit up in the NBA,” team President Pat Riley said in a statement on the Heat website.

“A four-time battle tested World Champion who will fit perfectly into his role as an all-around player at both ends of the court. We all talk about his shooting skill, but there is so much more he brings to the game. We are blessed that Klay chose the HEAT in our quest to challenge for championships.”

According to Spotrac, Thompson signed a 2-year, $11.48 million contract with Miami.

Thompson was drafted by the Golden State Warriors out of Washington State with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Almost immediately, Thompson formed a formidable shooting duo with point guard Steph Curry.

Thompson was a 40-percent 3-point shooter in every season from 2011 until 2022, and again in the 2022-23 season. He has also shot over 40 percent from the field in all but one season in his career. His career scoring average is 18.6 points per game.

Thompson has won numerous individual accolades. He was a five-time All-Star, which he won in consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2019, and a two-time All-NBA third teamer in 2015 and 2016. He was also named to the All-Rookie team in 2012 and won an NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2019.

He led the league in three-pointers in 2023 and in free throw percentage in 2024. He also owns the league record for most points scored in a quarter with 37; the most three-pointers made in a single game with 14; and is tied with Curry for the most threes made in a single playoff run with 98.

His tandem with Curry went way beyond his individual accomplishments. Both Curry and Thompson were prolific shooters from deep, earning the nickname “the Splash Brothers” for their three-point shooting. The Warriors’ core of Curry, Thompson, and forward Draymond Green was the centerpiece of a dynasty in the mid-to-late 2010s.

Accompanied by veteran wing Andre Iguodala, backup shooting guard Shaun Livingston, forward Kevin Durant, and center JaVale McGee, among a multitude of role players and contributors, the Dubs won the Western Conference five years in a row from 2015 to 2019 and won three NBA Championships in that time period: 2015, 2017, and 2018. They also broke the regular-season record for wins in the 2015-16 season, going 73-9 before falling in the NBA Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Warriors returned to the promised land in the 2021-22 season, winning their fourth title in six seasons and their seventh overall.

Thompson’s time on the West Coast came to an end in 2024, when he was the centerpiece of a massive six-team sign-and-trade deal. He was moved to the Dallas Mavericks, while picks and players were swapped between the Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Philadelphia 76ers.

His statistics have taken a small dip from his peak with the Warriors: he shot 41.2 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three in 2024-25, while his points per game fell to 14; in 2025-2026, he dropped to shooting just 39.3 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from deep, while his PPG dropped to 11.7.

Thompson joins a Heat squad that could make good use of his talent as a pure shooter. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a point forward well-known for his ability to distribute the ball; he forms a massive but capable frontcourt with center Bam Adebayo.

Small forward Andrew Wiggins is Thompson’s former teammate and won a ring with the Warriors; he has traditionally been highly regarded for his defense, though he shot 41.4 percent from three last season, a career high. The Heat are bookended by guards Davion Mitchell and veteran Tim Hardaway Jr., both of whom are known for their defense rather than their shooting.