In 2024, Klay Thompson passed on the Los Angeles Lakers to team up with Luka Doncic in Dallas. That partnership lasted just 21 games before the Slovenian’s departure, and now a recent report suggests Thompson could finally be headed to the Purple and Gold. The possibility has former Lakers champion Ron Artest excited.

“My understanding is that Thompson would welcome a return to Los Angeles, where he spent part of his childhood and still owns a home,” according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. Thompson would be open to a deal that sends him to Los Angeles. “The Miami Heat are another team frequently mentioned in NBA circles as a potential landing spot for the future Hall of Famer.”

Miami could certainly use Klay Thompson’s perimeter shooting to complement Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, reports linking Thompson to the Lakers could change the equation. Artest, for one, is already thinking ahead.

“Wow if this is true,” Artest tweeted. “I need the klay laker jersey.”

Thompson is entering the final year of the three-year deal he signed with Dallas in 2024 and will earn $17.5 million this season. While he shot a career-low 38.3% from beyond the arc last year, he still averaged more than seven 3-point attempts per game- a testament to the respect he commands as one of the league’s premier shooters. His gravity as a floor spacer would fit seamlessly alongside Luka Doncic and add another dangerous dimension to the Lakers’ offense.

The 36-year-old also has deep ties to the Lakers organization. His father, Mychal Thompson, won two NBA championships with the franchise and remains involved as the team’s radio color commentator. Despite those family connections, Klay Thompson chose Dallas over Los Angeles in free agency in 2024 to play alongside Doncic.

“Doncic sent me a message saying how excited he is, and I sent him the same message back and I think there’s definitely mutual respect there,” Thompson said to reporters during his introductory press conference with the Mavericks.

“I mean, I remember seeing him at the end of the Western Conference finals in 2022, and I told him how much I loved his game and how he really elevates his teammates, and the sky is the limit for his skill.”

Now, circumstances have shifted, and Klay Thompson could finally have the opportunity to honor his father’s legacy by wearing the Purple and Gold while once again sharing the court with Doncic.

The Mavericks currently have 16 players on their roster, meaning a move will likely be necessary before the regular season. They recently signed Naji Marshall to a three-year, $52.2 million extension, leaving Thompson’s future in Dallas uncertain.

Meanwhile, the Lakers continue to search for additional wing and frontcourt depth. If Thompson is indeed interested in a move to Los Angeles, Lakers fans have plenty of reason to be intrigued.