Klay Thompson’s interest in returning to Los Angeles, his father’s public recruiting campaign and the Dallas Mavericks’ pursuit of Bennedict Mathurin could create an opening for the Lakers.
Thompson would welcome a return to Los Angeles, The Athletic’s Christian Clark reported. The Lakers are a logical destination because Thompson still owns a home in the area and would be reunited with Luka Doncic, whom he originally joined the Mavericks to play alongside in 2024.
The Lakers would face competition from the Miami Heat, but they have a uniquely persuasive recruiter: Thompson’s father.
Mychal Thompson, who won two NBA championships with the Lakers and now works on their radio broadcasts, recently said he was really “trying” to persuade his son to come home and play for Los Angeles.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, want to trade Thompson and have no current interest in negotiating a buyout, according to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel. Siegel also identified the Mavericks as a potential suitor for Mathurin, the Clippers’ unsigned restricted free agent.
Those circumstances produce the outline of a workable three-team deal. This is a hypothetical proposal, not a report that the teams have discussed this construction.
Proposed Lakers-Mavericks-Clippers Trade
The Lakers receive: Klay Thompson, Dallas’ 2032 second-round pick
The Mavericks receive: Bennedict Mathurin on a four-year, $90 million sign-and-trade contract
The Clippers receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht
The financial mechanics work under the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement.
Vanderbilt and Knecht combine for approximately $16.6 million in salary. The Lakers would receive Thompson’s $17.5 million expiring contract, adding roughly $830,000 to their payroll while remaining below the first apron.
The two-for-one exchange would also reduce the Lakers from 16 standard contracts to the regular-season maximum of 15.
If Mathurin’s hypothetical contract started near $20.9 million, Dallas would add approximately $3.5 million in salary. The Mavericks would become hard-capped at the first apron after receiving a player through a sign-and-trade, but the deal would keep them below that line.
Base-year compensation would count Mathurin’s outgoing salary at approximately $10.5 million for the Clippers. That would still permit them to receive Vanderbilt and Knecht under the league’s matching rules.
Why Mavericks Would Participate
Getty The Dallas Mavericks are interested in Los Angeles Clippers’ restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin.
Dallas would be using Thompson’s expiring contract to acquire a 24-year-old scorer who fits its rebuilding timeline alongside Cooper Flagg.
Mathurin averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season. He would give the Mavericks a younger downhill scorer with considerably more long-term upside than Thompson, who will turn 37 during the season.
The Mavericks are only about $2 million below the luxury-tax line, according to Siegel, which is why simply adding Mathurin would not be feasible. Moving Thompson in the same transaction would provide the necessary outgoing salary and eliminate the possibility of paying him to play elsewhere through a buyout.
Why Clippers Would Say Yes
The Clippers’ incentive is more complicated.
Mathurin remains unsigned, and committing approximately $90 million to him would be expensive after he struggled to provide reliable spacing following his midseason arrival. He averaged 17.4 points in 26 games for Los Angeles but shot only 20.7% from 3-point range.
The Clippers remain interested in acquiring Denver Nuggets restricted free agent Peyton Watson through a sign-and-trade, according to Siegel. Keeping both Watson and Mathurin appears unlikely from financial and basketball standpoints.
Both players would require lucrative multiyear contracts and occupy minutes on the wing. Watson’s defense, length and ability to guard multiple positions could make him the cleaner fit alongside the Clippers’ existing scorers. Moving Mathurin would create the necessary financial and rotational space to pursue Watson without committing substantial money to two young wings whose roles could overlap.
In this proposal, Los Angeles would convert Mathurin into two rotation pieces rather than risk allowing his restricted free agency to drag deeper into the offseason.
Vanderbilt would restore some of the defense and rebounding the Clippers lost when they traded Ivica Zubac. Knecht would provide a cost-controlled shooter and former first-round pick to develop. The Clippers would also avoid Mathurin’s new long-term salary, giving them greater flexibility to complete a Watson sign-and-trade.
That combination — a defensive replacement in Vanderbilt, a young shooter in Knecht and a clearer pathway to Watson — gives the Clippers a plausible reason to help facilitate Thompson’s move across town.
Why Lakers Would Bet on Klay Thompson Despite His Age
GettyLuka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass past Klay Thompson of the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on February 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Thompson is reportedly open to reuniting with Doncic in L.A.
Los Angeles would be wagering that Thompson’s decline has not erased the skill the Lakers need most.
He averaged a career-low 11.7 points last season but still made 202 3-pointers while shooting 38.3% from beyond the arc. His movement shooting could create valuable space around Doncic.
The Lakers also offer something Miami cannot: Thompson’s home, his father’s preferred destination and another chance to play beside the star who originally drew him to Dallas.
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