Lakers, Heat reportedly in trading war for $298M Future Hall of Famer, ex-Warriors 4x NBA champion

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Lakers, Heat reportedly in trading war for $298M Future Hall of Famer, ex-Warriors 4x NBA champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat have both had productive offseasons in terms of acquiring the players they wanted. Miami pulled off the blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, while the Lakers were able to re-sign superstar Austin Reaves.

Recently, however, both teams have shifted their focus to the same target. Klay Thompson has emerged as a player both franchises are pursuing, whether through a trade or a potential buyout before the season begins.

“The Lakers are emerging as a potential destination for Klay Thompson. Thompson would be set up consistently for great shots by Luka Doncic, an attractive element. LA also possesses the necessary salary-matching contracts to pull off a trade instead of competing after a buyout,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.

The Heat are also heavily involved in the pursuit of Thompson, who has become their top offseason priority.

“They hope not. The Miami Heat's number one priority right now is to acquire shooting. And they found their No. 1 target for that...Klay Thompson. The problem is Klay Thompson has one year left on his Mavs contract so they're exploring whether they can trade for him, whether this could end up in a buyout, we'll see over the next several weeks," ESPN's Shams Charania said.

It remains unclear whether the Dallas Mavericks will ultimately trade Thompson or negotiate a buyout. However, The Stein Line's Jake Fischer believes the level of interest from teams like the Lakers and Heat makes a trade far more likely.

“To this point Dallas has not been looking to find a buyout agreement with Klay Thompson…the Mavericks have been very hesitant, to my understanding, of actually moving forward and agreeing to a buyout with Klay Thompson,” Fischer said. “This market that is shaping up for him, the fact that there is some L.A. interest, the fact that there is Miami interest, there’s probably other teams that have interest in Klay Thompson as well.”

Based on the level of interest around the league, it appears both the Lakers and Heat should be preparing trade packages rather than waiting for a buyout. Miami may have more flexibility to put together a competitive offer, but both teams have a legitimate reason to pursue the veteran sharpshooter.

Thompson has earned $298 million in contracts throughout his NBA career. Whichever team lands him would add one of the league's most accomplished shooters and fill a major need from beyond the arc. If either the Lakers or Heat want to acquire Thompson, they will likely have to make Dallas an appealing trade offer.

More NBA news:

• Heat predicted to trade Nikola Jovic for $50M Future Hall of Famer, 4x NBA champion, elite shooter​

• Heat reportedly going all-in for $603M Future Hall of Fame duo to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo​

• Cavaliers predicted to sign $305M Future Hall of Famer, pivoting from NBA champ Jonathan Kuminga​

• Lakers predicted to part ways with $18M former first-round draft bust after disappointing stint​

Continue reading...