Just when the Warriors thought Clay Thempson would be ready for the start of the 2020-21 NBA season, they got potential bad news about 90 minutes before the start of the 2020 NBA Draft.
The NBA All-Star Guard suffered a leg injury during a workout in Southern California on Wednesday, the Warriors have confirmed.
Athletic’s Shams Charania was the first to report Thompson’s injury.
ESPN’s Adrian Wozniacki quoted sources as saying that Thompson injured his right leg during the workout.
Both Charania and Wozniacki reported that tests were underway to determine the severity of Thompson’s injury.
Charania reported that Thompson could not put any weight on his right leg as he exited the gym.
Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area reported the injury “looked bad,” and Mark Spears of ESPN noted it was “not good.”
If there’s any good news for Thompson and the Warriors, it looks like he hasn’t re-injured his left ACL, which he tore up against the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals last June. He missed the entire 2019-20 season recovering from an injury.
Thompson was approved for the full range of basketball activities and participated in the volunteer minicomp of the Warriors early in the season.
The Warriors are hoping for a bounce-back season after finishing with the worst record in the NBA (15-50) during the 2019-20 season. Those hopes are based on the addition of injuries to Mpson and Steff Curry and the addition of the No. 2 draft pick.
But if Thompson suffers a significant injury and is forced to miss a crucial time, it could put a serious dent in the Warriors’ plans for the 2020-21 season.
Related: Clay worked with Dremond, Barbosa over the weekend
With Warriors No. 2 in the 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday night preparing to make the selection with an overall pick, Thompson’s injury could change General Bob Myers’ direction and possibly take a different player than he plans to enter the day.
On the potentially important day of the Warriors franchise, they are holding their breath for the good news of one of the most important players in the history of the organization.
