It has been a busy offseason for the Lakers. A summer overhaul that saw LeBron James leave and Luka Doncic cement his place as the franchise cornerstone is apparently not over. Klay Thompson is the latest name linked to the purple and gold, and in the week that a buyout agreement with Dallas is reportedly nearing completion, his father met with an ESPN LA radio host, and what he didn’t say told the whole story.

ESPN LA’s Beto Duran shared the exchange he had with Mychal Thompson.

“I was like, ‘Hey, is this Klay stuff?’” Duran recounted on the ESPN LA Radio show. “Mychal — silence, right? And when Mychal gives you silence and no, it means man, he’s rolling his eyes about things because it’s true. He’ll give you an answer about something true.”

“I was like, ‘So, is he coming to LA?’ Mychal just said, ‘I’ve always wanted him to, but you know how it is,’” he added.

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that the Mavericks have been hesitant to buy out Klay Thompson due to the strong interest from the Lakers and Heat. That awareness is reportedly what has been slowing the buyout process, even as the rebuild in Dallas makes his presence on the roster awkward.

With 16 standard contracts already on the books, the Mavericks must reduce their roster before the regular season, and Thompson’s $17.5 million for 2026-27 is the most expensive piece on a team that no longer fits.

Lakers Film Studio’s Marc Jacobs reported that Klay and the Mavericks are nearing a buyout agreement, with Thompson expected to join the Lakers once he clears waivers.

ESPN LA’s Mason and Ireland had already been told weeks ago that “if Klay got bought out, I have it on good authority that the first call his agent would make would be to the Lakers. Because he would love to finish his career here.”

The financial structure of a buyout has been the primary obstacle throughout this process. Thompson is scheduled to earn $17.5 million in 2026-27 and would reportedly need to give back approximately $7 million of his current salary to become a free agent, a concession that allows Dallas to clear cap space while giving Thompson the freedom to sign with the team of his choosing.

What the Mavericks have been resisting, per Fischer, is the scenario where the four-time champion walks away for nothing when a trade could return even modest assets. Dallas has not revealed a specific asking price, but Thompson’s value, averaging 11.7 points and 38.3% from the 3-point line last season, is real enough that the Mavericks believe they should not absorb the full financial hit without something coming back the other direction.

The Lakers have been strongly pursuing Jonathan Kuminga in a sign-and-trade with Atlanta as their primary wing target. They have been unable to reach an agreement, leaving the Thompson option as an increasingly practical alternative at a fraction of the cost.