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Klay Thompson is aiming for a bounce-back season after joining the Heat. The veteran shooting guard met the media on Tuesday after signing a two-year, $11.5MM contract last week that includes a player option.

“It’s kind of a redemption season for me to show I can still make an impact on winning and do it consistently,” Thompson said, per The Associated Press. “I can’t wait to get to work. It’s pretty surreal being here. But what an honor it is.”

Thompson came off the bench regularly with Dallas last season for the first time in his career. He averaged a career-low 11.7 points and 1.4 assists per game in 69 outings. His shooting averages of 39.3% overall and 38.3% on three-point attempts were also career lows.

Thompson wound up on the free agent market after securing a buyout agreement with the Mavericks. He reportedly gave back around $9.8MM of his $17.5MM salary on his previous deal with Dallas.

Overall, Thompson surrendered approximately $4MM this season to play for what he anticipates is a contending team, according to The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.

“I would say just the opportunity to play high-level basketball throughout the season and the chance to make a deep postseason run,” Thompson said in explaining his decision to join the Heat. “Those things were so attractive to me and obviously you want to maximize your earning potential as an athlete. But I’ve tasted winning before and there’s really nothing like it.”

Thompson’s contract allows the Heat to fill their two open spots on the 15-man standard roster without exceeding their hard cap at the first tax apron. He believes that he’ll fit snugly into the rotation, spacing the floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. He’ll also embrace a leadership role on his new team.

“Giannis is one of the best players of all time and a two-time MVP, obviously,” Thompson said. “He is a special talent and I have great respect for him and what he’s been able to accomplish and how he’s gotten better every season. I think we can both just help each other, not just him, but we can help the whole team. Just freeing him up for lanes to drive for space to operate. And for myself, I’m going to get so many great looks playing off him and Bam.”

Head coach Erik Spoelstra said the club was thrilled to get a player of Thompson’s caliber on the free agent market.

“We’re very excited about this,” Spoelstra said. “We’ve always had great respect for him. He’s a highly, highly decorated champion. … He knows how to win. He knows how to help others. He has a great IQ for the game. And defensively he has pride in being a legitimate two-way basketball player.”

Despite his age, Thompson has proven to be durable in recent seasons after overcoming a torn ACL in his left knee in 2019 and a right Achilles rupture in 2020. He has appeared in at least 69 games over the past four seasons.

“The durability for me has been a huge plus,” Thompson said. “That’s one thing that might have been in question when I came back from all that time I had off. But for me those injuries are back in the past and I don’t even think about it anymore.”