Klay Thompson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Rule Out Durant For Game 3, Looney For Series

June 4th, 2019 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, including Anthony Slater of The Athletic (all Twitter links), Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provided a handful of health updates on his banged-up squad. Here’s the latest on the injured Warriors, via Kerr:

Kevin Durant (calf) has been ruled out for Game 3. He’s said to be “ramping up” his exercise routines and will get on the floor at the practice facility later today for some individual work.
Kevon Looney (chest/collarbone) has been ruled out for the rest of the series. We already knew that Looney would be sidelined indefinitely, so this development doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
Klay Thompson (hamstring) is questionable for Game 3. He did some light work at shootaround today and wants to play, but the Warriors want to make sure the risk of aggravating the injury isn’t significant.
Andre Iguodala (calf) will play in Game 3. The calf injury Iguodala suffered vs. Portland is still bothering him, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell (Twitter link). But he practiced today and will be good to go on Wednesday.

With practically half of their rotation dealing with health issues of some sort, the Warriors may have to lean more heavily on role players like Quinn Cook, Jonas Jerebko, Alfonzo McKinnie, and Andrew Bogut on Wednesday. Of course, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and DeMarcus Cousins will play leading roles.

Any Warrior who misses Game 3 will have a couple days to try to get healthy for Game 4, which is scheduled to take place on Friday night. After Game 4, there will be two full days off in between each of the remaining games, which are scheduled for June 10, 13, and 16, if necessary.

Klay Thompson Has Hamstring Strain, May Play Game 3

June 3rd, 2019 at 9:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors got some good news on the injury front Monday as an MRI confirmed that star shooting guard Klay Thompson has a mild hamstring strain, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Thompson will test out the injury over the next two days and likely be listed as questionable for Game 3 of The Finals on Wednesday night, Charania adds.

Thompson, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of Game 2 on Sunday. His legs split apart while he attempted a 3-point shot. Toronto’s Danny Green contested the shot but no foul was called.

If he can’t play, the Warriors will likely lean on Shaun Livingston and Quinn Cook to assist Stephen Curry in the backcourt.

Golden State got some bad news Monday when forward Kevon Looney was diagnosed with a fractured collarbone. The Warriors still don’t know when superstar Kevin Durant will be able to return from his calf injury suffered during the conference semifinals. The prospect of playing without Durant and Thompson would be daunting as the series shifts to the West Coast and Oracle Arena.

Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney To Undergo MRIs

June 3rd, 2019 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of Warriors who exited Game 2 early on Sunday night will undergo tests today to determine the severity of their injuries, according to the team. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area relays (via Twitter), Klay Thompson will have an MRI on his hamstring, while Kevon Looney will undergo an MRI and a CT scan on his chest/collarbone injury.

Although both players were unable to return to Sunday’s game after departing with their respective injuries, they’re both hopeful about suiting up for Golden State on Wednesday night.

“No, I don’t see myself missing Game 3,” Thompson told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who writes that the club doesn’t view Klay’s hamstring issue as serious. Looney also said after the game that he plans to give it a go in Game 3, though he acknowledged that his chest hurt “pretty bad” on Sunday night.

“I’ll at least go out and try unless I wake up tomorrow and feel way worse,” Looney told Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). “Otherwise, I think I’ll give it a shot.”

If the injuries to Thompson and Looney are more significant that initially feared, the Warriors could be missing as many as three key contributors in Game 3. Kevin Durant also remains questionable for that game, with one report indicating that he’s more likely to return for Game 4.

Mavericks Notes: Harris, Future, Thompson, Ross, Walker

May 25th, 2019 at 2:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tobias Harris might be the best free agent fit for the Mavericks, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. The Sixers forward fills a glaring need for a scorer who can swing between both forward positions. With Luka Doncic providing the playmaking and Kristaps Porzingis spreading the court, Harris would get plenty of scoring opportunities, Townsend notes. Harris isn’t an elite defender but that wouldn’t stop the Mavs from offering him a max deal, Townsend adds.

We have more on the Mavericks:

Dallas doesn’t necessarily have to win in free agency this summer to have a bright future, ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out in his offseason preview. The team could have even more cap space the next two summers, when other top-level free agents hit the market. However, the Mavs must retool their bench with so many of their second-unit players becoming free agents.
Klay Thompson would be the ideal backcourt partner with Doncic, given his ability to space the floor, catch and shoot or create off the dribble, Townsend notes in a separate story. It must be pointed out that Townsend’s story appeared before Thompson failed to make an All-NBA Team, so the Warriors don’t have to offer the shooting guard a super-max deal to retain him. A more realistic target would be Magic swingman Terrence Ross, who would provide much-needed outside shooting, Townsend adds.
The Mavs’ frontcourt needs should be a prioritized over pursuit of a pricey point guard, Townsend argues in another overview of free agents. Townsend still takes a look at how players like Kemba Walker and Patrick Beverley could fit into the equation.

NBA Announces 2018/19 All-Defensive Teams

May 22nd, 2019 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2018/19 season, with Jazz center Rudy Gobert once again coming in as the leading vote-getter.

Gobert, a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, was listed on 99 of 100 ballots, with 97 of those ballots giving him a First Team vote, for a total of 196 points (two points per First Team vote; one point per Second Team vote). The All-Defensive nod ensures that the big man receives a $500K bonus, which had been considered likely since he was named to an All-Defensive team last season, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Gobert was closely followed by fellow Defensive Player of the Year candidates Paul George (Thunder) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), who received 195 and 193 total points, respectively.

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday secured a $100K bonus by earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team, notes Marks (via Twitter). Like Davis, he was an All-Defensive player last season as well, so that bonus had been considered likely — his cap hits for this year or next won’t be impacted by him earning it.

Here are the full voting results for the All-Defensive First and Second Teams, with each player’s point total noted in parentheses:

First Team:

Rudy Gobert, C, Jazz (196)
Paul George, F, Thunder (195)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Bucks (193)
Marcus Smart, G, Celtics (145)
Eric Bledsoe, G, Bucks (100)

Second Team:

Jrue Holiday, G, Pelicans (90)
Klay Thompson, G, Warriors (82)
Joel Embiid, C, Sixers (80)
Draymond Green, F, Warriors (61)
Kawhi Leonard, F, Raptors (39)

Raptors guard Danny Green actually totaled 66 points, including 19 First Team votes, while Clippers guard Patrick Beverley had 48 points (14 First Team votes). However, All-Defensive teams are determined by position, so they didn’t make the cut because they ranked fifth and sixth in voting among guards.

Pacers center Myles Turner (39 points), Rockets forward P.J. Tucker (38), Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (24), and Spurs guard Derrick White (15) were the other leading vote-getters.

You can find the full voting results right here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Warriors Owner Vows To Re-Sign Klay Thompson

May 11th, 2019 at 9:20am CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors owner Joe Lacob seems prepared to do whatever it takes to re-sign shooting guard and impending free agent Klay Thompson. Following the Warriors’ Game 6 victory over Houston in the Western Conference semifinals, Lacob told ESPN’s Nick Friedell he wants Thompson and point guard Stephen Curry “as part of our organization forever.”

A report surfaced this week indicating that there’s mutual interest in getting a deal done. Lacob will have to pay a giant price to retain Thompson, who has stated that he expects a max contract. He could make $189MM with Golden State over the next five years if he’s not named to an All-NBA team or sign elsewhere for four years and $140.6MM. If he does gain that honor, Thompson would be eligible for a $221MM super-max contract.

Curry’s contract is guaranteed for three more seasons and will get paid $40.2MM, $43MM and $45.8MM during that span.

Lacob would have to pay major luxury tax penalties if the Warriors re-sign both Thompson and Kevin Durant, or in the unlikely scenario that Durant opts in for $31.5MM next season.

Lacob said his desire to retain Thompson goes well beyond the court.

“I have a special bond with him. I always have,” the owner said. “He’s the first player, since I bought the team, that we drafted. The very first one. And I just have always felt an incredible attachment. People make fun of me a little bit — I always say I love Klay. … There’s something about him, I have a very special relationship with him.”

Thompson scored 27 points in the Game 6 clinching win over the Rockets.

Latest On Klay Thompson, Warriors

May 10th, 2019 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed earlier this week, free agency rumors and speculation haven’t followed Klay Thompson around this season in the same way they’ve followed teammate Kevin Durant. That discrepancy can be attributed in large part to a widespread belief around the league that Durant will leave the Warriors, while Thompson has long been expected to re-sign.

In a story from ESPN’s Nick Friedell this week, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that there’s significant mutual interest between Thompson and the Warriors in a new deal.

“I know that everybody — coaches, management, ownership — everybody wants Klay back,” Kerr said. “I think the feeling is just: Klay wants to be here, we want Klay.”

Still, while the Warriors remain the strong frontrunners to retain the veteran sharpshooter, there’s a “very real temperature-taking process happening behind the scenes right now,” according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Thompson has long been content to play second or third fiddle behind Stephen Curry and – since 2016 – Durant, but he’ll want to be compensated for his All-Star play in the “kind of way that he believes he deserves,” writes Amick. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Amick that Klay will be seeking a five-year, maximum salary contract from the Warriors, and the team would risk having him test the free agency waters if it isn’t willing to put that offer on the table this July.

Amick makes it clear that there’s no indication the Warriors aren’t ready to make that sort of offer, or that Thompson would definitely leave if they don’t. Amick’s source also adamantly denied a report that Thompson has grown at all discontent with the franchise. In other words, a long-term union between the two sides continues to look like the most probable outcome.

Still, with several significant contract situations to address this summer – including trying to re-sign Durant and perhaps extending Draymond Green – the Warriors will want to make sure to give their negotiations with Thompson the attention they deserve.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Durant, Iguodala, Cousins

May 8th, 2019 at 8:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Speculation over Kevin Durant‘s future has been hounding the Warriors for months, but Klay Thompson‘s upcoming free agency is being almost overlooked, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Thompson will also be unrestricted this summer, but he is expected to re-sign with the organization. He has said publicly that he expects a max contract, which would pay him $188MM over five years or $221MM in a super-max deal if he makes an all-NBA team.

“The media, I think, give him a little bit of a break as far as over-speculating and throwing him into the fire because he hasn’t really fueled it — at all,” teammate Andrew Bogut said. “You’ve never heard him say anything bad about wanting to leave here or going to another team or being the No. 1 option. You’ve never even heard that off the record. Some players say the right thing publicly but have different feelings [in private]. He completely wants to be here and he gets it that this is a very rare situation.”

Re-signing Thompson would give the Warriors a measure of stability heading forward, regardless of what happens with Durant. He has been part of the Warriors’ core over the five years that they have been elite and ranks second only to LeBron James in the number of playoff games in that span.

“I think Klay sort of ties it all together in a lot of ways,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “There’s not one person in this organization who would ever question Klay’s agenda or motives.”

There’s more Warriors news to pass along:

Knicks fans shouldn’t start the Durant celebration just yet, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who talked to Marcus Thompson II, author of a new book titled, “KD: Kevin Durant’s Relentless Pursuit to Be The Greatest.” Thompson acknowledges that the Knicks will be strong contenders, but he believes Golden State’s chances of keeping Durant have improved.
Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston have both been cleared to play in tonight’s Game 5, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Warriors were upset about how Iguodala got hurt at the end of Monday’s game, accusing Chris Paul of intentionally clipping his knee from behind on a rebound, according to Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. Livingston has been dealing with a sore left hip.
DeMarcus Cousins was jogging and putting up 3-point shots in a workout this afternoon, relays Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cousins is determined to overcome a quad injury and return to action before the postseason is over.

Summer Of “Seismic Change” Coming For Warriors?

May 6th, 2019 at 4:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Warriors are on a quest to win three-straight championships and while the team remains focused on achieving that goal, internally, the franchise is preparing for a summer of change.

“Internally in Golden State, there’s a sense of let’s try to put aside what’s coming in July,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on the network’s show Get Up! (h/t Tyler Conley of Bleacher Report). “Let’s try to keep our focus there and win the title, then let July play out the way it’s going to. But I think the Warriors are bracing for possibly seismic change within that organization,”

Klay Thompson is unlikely to switch teams as long as the Warriors present him with a five-year, max deal.

“If they come with a five-year, $190MM max deal for Klay Thompson, that’s done on July 1—he’s going into the new building with Steph Curry,” Woj said.

Many teams will pursue Thompson if the shooting guard does not receive that offer from Golden State. The Lakers will surely have interest in Thompson, but Wojnarowski names the Clippers as the bigger Los Angeles threat to sign the five-time All-Star.

The Clippers are one of a few teams that will have the ability to carve out two max slots. The Knicks are another franchise expected to chase a pair of superstars and Kevin Durant has been regularly linked to the Big Apple.

“I don’t know if there’s a lot of talking that has to happen between the Warriors and Kevin Durant,” Wojnarowski said. “I think he knows what it is, what he wants, and there may be nothing the Warriors can do or say to change that.”

And-Ones: Wizards, Thompson, Parsons, Grizzlies

April 30th, 2019 at 11:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Wizards are conducting several interviews for their head of basketball operations opening this week. Former Hawks GM Danny Ferry met with the team on Tuesday and current Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas is also in town for his meeting, as we relayed earlier today.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) reports that Thunder VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver was in D.C. as well to interview for the position. Interim GM Tommy Sheppard is also under consideration.

Here’s more from around the league:

Marc Stein of the New York Times believes Klay Thompson is “100 percent staying put with the Warriors and will not consider external suitors,” as he writes in his latest newsletter. Thompson will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Chandler Parsons had some encouraging stretches for the Grizzlies and he hopes to build on that progress, as David Cobb of the Memphis Commercial Appeal passes along. “I’m going to continue to do all the right things this summer and put myself in the best situation to play a lot of games next year,” Parsons said. “Where that will be, I don’t know. You’ve got to ask the guys upstairs. But I’m fully committed to the team and coming back, if that’s what it’s going to be.”
Parsons has one year left on his four-year, $94MM deal and Cobb (same piece) wonders if the team will be able to trade the forward. The scribe believes the Grizzlies would have to attach an asset to Parsons in order to extract any value from a trade despite Parsons showing progress this season.