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Klay Thompson tore his ACL in his left knee during the 2019 NBA Finals and didn't step onto an NBA court during the 2019-20 season. After being out for over a year, the star shooting guard was set to make a return in the 2020-21 NBA season along with his 'Splash Brother', Stephen Curry, and many expected the Golden State Warriors to be title contenders once more. Unfortunately, the latest NBA Injury Update reveals that Klay Thompson has suffered another serious injury.
NBA Injury Update: Tests conclude Klay Thompson's injury is an Achilles tear
On Wednesday, Klay Thompson suffered a right lower leg injury during a pickup basketball game in downtown Los Angeles and was apparently carried off the gym floor, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
The severity of the injury was unknown and Klay Thompson was scheduled to have an MRI scan on Thursday to determine the seriousness of the injury. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the tests have concluded that the injury is an Achilles rupture and Klay Thompson will miss the entire 2020-21 NBA season.
NBA Injury Update: Golden State Warriors options now that Klay Thompson is out for the season
The Golden State Warriors, after hearing news of Thompson's injury, didn't change their plan of action in the NBA Draft 2020, and selected James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick. The Warriors have a few options in front of them as they look to replace Klay Thompson for the next season.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN evaluated all possibilities on the popular show "Sports Center", the Golden State Warriors have a $17.2 million trade exception which expires on November 23, so the Warriors will have to make a decision as soon as possible.
The trade exception cannot be used on a free agent and can only be used to acquire a player via trade. The Golden State Warriors have a luxury tax bill of $65 million and if they go ahead with trade using the exception, it will rise to around $80 million, according to Bobby Marks.
The Golden State Warriors are expected to apply for the 'Disabled Player Exception' worth $9.3 million which expires on the 17th of April, 2021 and can be used to sign or trade for a player for a period of 12 months.
Aside from these options, the Golden State Warriors have a $5.7 million tax mid-level exception which they can use to acquire wing players. Although the amount is small, it does give them a little bit of a breathing room.
Moreover, most significant trades are usually incomplete without future draft picks. The Golden State Warriors can use their future first and second-round picks in a trade to obtain a replacement for Klay Thompson. They have first-round picks for 2021 and 2022, and five future second-round picks.
As the next season is only a few weeks away, all eyes are going to be on the Golden State Warriors and the decisions they make in the next few days.
Guess the Lakers players!
