Klay Thompson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Notes: Championship, Lacob, Veteran Core, Offseason

June 17th, 2022 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors‘ championship this year vindicated the belief of team management and ownership that the team could build a “two-timeline” roster, using its lottery picks in 2020 and 2021 on young prospects rather than in trades for win-now help, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

As Slater details, president of basketball operations Bob Myers and owner Joe Lacob believed the roster was talented enough to contend for a title without having to trade those picks. Golden State ultimately opted to draft and develop James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody while continuing to lean on veterans like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins.

“They were doubted,” Lacob said on Thursday night, referring to the Warriors’ veteran stars. “But these guys are not 40 years old. We believed in that core. Not many teams have a core four. A lot of people say core three. I say core four. We’re spending the money to do that. Then, we supplement and surround that team.

“I know some people thought we could’ve done more, got another star. But who were we going to get? Who was available that would make a difference? We didn’t think there was, and we really wanted these young guys to be developed and learn from these guys. They have learned. We are going to be even better as a result of that in the years going forward.”

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Lacob is confident that his club can continue to be a contender for years to come, as David Aldridge of The Athletic relays. “I intend to own this team for a long time and I intend to win as many championships as possible,” Lacob said. “It’s all about winning. That’s it. That’s all I care about. We’re going to do whatever it takes. The truth is, we’ve got really smart people who work in this organization, and we are, usually, going to figure it out and be real good.”
The Warriors’ fourth title in the last eight years left no doubt of their star trio’s place in NBA history, says Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “Individually, we all do different, unique things to impact winning,” Curry said of himself, Green, and Thompson. “We all have a sense of humility about what it takes to win and knowing that we respect what every single one of us brings to the table. But there’s also an ego with that, too. So there’s a healthy balance. And the rest of it is trust.”
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype looks ahead to the offseason decisions facing the Warriors following their championship run, while Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN revisits seven important moments from that run.
Oddsmakers and sportsbooks have made the Warriors the early favorites for the 2023 title, according to David Purdum of ESPN. Golden State is a little ahead of Brooklyn, Boston, Milwaukee, Phoenix, and the Clippers.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Wiggins, Curry, GPII

June 14th, 2022 at 6:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson is trying to focus on the task at hand: winning his fourth NBA title. Three years removed from his torn ACL, and nearly two years removed from his torn Achilles, the five-time Golden State All-Star is prioritizing the present, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. The Warriors currently hold a 3-2 advantage against the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals, which will resume Thursday.

“I never had such a severe injury, so I didn’t think it was that serious,” Thompson said of the ACL tear. “I thought I might have sprained something in my knee.” Thompson also noted that he generally does not dwell on the injury now: “I just want to frigging win.”

Across 21 games during this postseason run, Thompson is averaging 19.4 PPG on .440/.391/.867 shooting splits, along with 3.9 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.0 SPG. Though he has not consistently looked like the perimeter defender he was in his prime, he has had standout moments of efficacy on that end while defending Boston guard Jaylen Brown.

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Following a career night in Game 5, the Warriors are commending the fit of small forward Andrew Wiggins, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Wiggins scored 26 points while shooting 12-of-23 from the floor, pulled down 13 boards, and chipped in two assists, two steals and a block in a pivotal 104-94 Game 5 win. “We knew we needed his athleticism and defense and his versatility,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr raved. “We had no idea that he would make this kind of contribution.” All-Star teammate Draymond Green also focused on how Wiggins, as a big forward with two-way ability and excellent athleticism as a finisher, found a way to slot in with the rest of the roster. “We looked at the trade [to acquire Wiggins in 2020 from the Timberwolves] like that is a guy who can fit next to a healthy group absolutely well,” Green said. “He’s continued to show that. He’s continued to get better. He’s taken on every challenge that we have thrown in front of him.”
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic reflects that Wiggins seems to be finally realizing his promise in the biggest possible moment for his club.
Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry had a low-scoring game by his lofty standards during the team’s Game 5 win over the Celtics, though he still was a key element of the offense in drawing plenty of defensive attention away from his teammates. Curry scored 16 points on 7-of-22 shooting form the floor, including a stunning 0-for-9 from deep. This marked the first time in 233 straight contests that he failed to connect from deep. Accordingly, Golden State anticipates that Curry will respond in a big way when the battle is joined again on Thursday for Game 6, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “He’s going to be livid going into Game 6, and that’s exactly what we need,” Draymond Green said.
Coming off his best performance in the Finals thus far, Warriors reserve guard Gary Payton II is looking to build on that with some championship hardware, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. In 26 minutes of action during Game 5, Payton tied a personal career-best in postseason points scored, notching 15 points while converting 6-of-8 from the floor. He also pulled down five rebounds and picked off three steals. After going undrafted out of Oregon State in 2016, Payton played for five NBAGL clubs and bounced around limited stints with the Bucks, Lakers, Wizards, and Warriors. This season, after some uncertainty about his roster status, the 2022 free agent eventually blossomed into a permanent part of the Golden State rotation.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Looney, Wiggins, Thompson

June 12th, 2022 at 9:19am CST by Arthur Hill

Friday night may have been the best performance of Stephen Curry‘s Hall of Fame career, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. With the Warriors in danger of falling behind 3-1, Curry delivered 43 points with seven three-pointers, 10 rebounds and four assists to pull out a victory in a hostile atmosphere.

It was a defining game for Curry, who has yet to win Finals MVP honors despite having three rings. More remarkably, it came two days after a foot injury that led to questions about how effective he could be for the rest of the series.

“Incredible,” Draymond Green said. “Put us on his back. Willed us to win. Much-needed win. Game we had to have. Came out and showed why he’s one of the best players to ever play this game, you know? And why … this organization has been able to ride him to so much success. It’s absolutely incredible.”

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Kevon Looney was replaced by Otto Porter Jr. in the starting lineup for Game 4 as coach Steve Kerr focused on spacing, but Looney was able to exploit his size advantage when he checked in, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. After playing just 17 minutes in Game 3, the big man logged 28 minutes Friday night with six points and 11 rebounds. “Loon is just crucial to everything we do,” Kerr said. “He’s our best screener, our best rebounder. One of our smartest players. He’s always in the right spot. He made I thought the biggest bucket in the game after Horford made the 3 from the corner (late in the fourth quarter), Draymond made the pass out of the pocket to Loon, and he finished with that left hand (to put the Warriors back up five).”
Andrew Wiggins has transformed himself into an effective rebounder throughout this year’s playoffs and collected a career-high 16 in Game 4, Slater adds in the same piece. Wiggins has been criticized for his lack of rebounding during his eight NBA seasons, but he’s averaging 7.3 per game in this postseason as a small-ball power forward. “I want to win,” he explained. “I know rebounding is a big part of that. I just want to win.”
In an attempt to revive himself for the rest of the series, Klay Thompson went swimming Saturday in San Francisco Bay, per Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area. Thompson spent a lot of time on the water, especially in his boat, during his 31-month rehab after two serious leg injuries.

Warriors Notes: Payton, Curry, Thompson, Assistant Coaches

June 8th, 2022 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gary Payton II has become a fan favorite in his first full season with the Warriors, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Some of the affection stems from his Oakland roots and some can be explained by the years-long struggle he had to make the league before earning a roster spot with Golden State.

Payton received a thunderous ovation when he entered Sunday’s Game 2, playing for the first time since fracturing his left elbow in the second-round series against Memphis. He consistently provides energy off the bench and fans have responded, putting him in the top five among team jersey sales since the playoffs began.

“So hard to make this league in general,” Stephen Curry said, “but even harder (to be an) NBA player’s son trying to follow in the dad’s footsteps. It’s a different challenge and journey for him coming out of college, trying to find his way, G League, training camp offers, bouncing around the league, all over the place, then finally finding a home. … I think he was on two-way last year. He was available but not really. Then knowing he could really help us this year, he’s actually proven to be an amazing difference-maker. I think fans really resonate with that.”

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Curry is quickly shedding his reputation as a poor defender, according to Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle, adding that opponents are finding it harder to attack him on pick-and-rolls. “Teams used to try to call Steph into every action, and just try to pick on him, but that doesn’t work anymore,” Draymond Green said. “He’s able to hold his ground, so you’re not able to bump him off his spot, and that’s been huge for us. I’m not shocked he’s playing that type of defense.”
Klay Thompson has been watching online videos of his past highlights in an effort to break out of his shooting slump, Letourneau states in a mailbag column. Thompson shot just 4-of-19 in Game 2 and was 1-of-8 from three-point range. Letourneau expects coach Steve Kerr to run some early pick-and-roll action for Thompson tonight, noting that he was the team’s most efficient scorer from that set this season.
Former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and assistant David Fizdale could be candidates to join Kerr’s staff next season, Letourneau adds in the same piece. The Warriors are already losing Mike Brown to Sacramento, and Kenny Atkinson is one of the finalists to be the next head coach in Charlotte.
Payton, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr., who were all listed as questionable, will be able to play tonight, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Iguodala, GPII, Klay

June 7th, 2022 at 5:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has been an integral player during the club’s 2022 NBA Finals run, prompting Zach Lowe of ESPN to take a deep dive revisiting Golden State’s acquisition of the 27-year-old – who made his first All-Star team this year – and exploring what retaining Wiggins could cost the club going forward.

After former Warriors All-Star Kevin Durant decided to join the Nets during the 2019 offseason, Golden State team president Bob Myers convinced Durant and Brooklyn to agree to a double sign-and-trade that would send out the two-time Finals MVP and a future Warriors draft pick in exchange for 2019 All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell. Golden State then sent Russell to the Timberwolves at the 2020 trade deadline. In the deal, the Warriors received Wiggins and a top-three protected first-round draft pick, which eventually was used to select rookie small forward Jonathan Kuminga in 2021.

Wiggins has been a solid two-way player in the postseason, and Lowe notes that his defense on Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic and now Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum has been instrumental for Golden State. It took Wiggins some time to fit into the Warriors’ switch-heavy offensive scheme and get comfortable with more off-ball movement than he was used to while with Minnesota.

“In this system, you have to move a lot,” Wiggins said. “A lot of the positions are almost interchangeable.”

After this season, Wiggins has one year left and $33.6MM on the hefty rookie scale contract extension he signed with the Timberwolves. Lowe notes that breakout Warriors guard Jordan Poole is eligible for a contract extension this season. Veterans Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will become unrestricted free agents in 2024, but Green has a player option for the 2023/24 season. The team will also have to make determinations on free agent role players Gary Payton II and starting center Kevon Looney this summer. Lowe wonders if the team will ultimately decide to pick between Wiggins and Poole soon, or between Wiggins and the starrier veterans Thompson and Green later. The club payroll, including salary and luxury tax penalties, could get as high as $475MM if everyone is retained, Lowe notes.

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Warriors veteran forward Andre Iguodala, who sat during the team’s 107-88 Game 2 victory due to right knee swelling, remains questionable for Game 3 on Wednesday with left knee soreness, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The 38-year-old, who was the 2015 Finals MVP for the Warriors, scored seven points and dished out three assists across 12 minutes of action in Game 1.
Prior to the start of his eventful 2021/22 season with the Warriors, reserve guard Gary Payton II contemplated joining the team as a video coordinator, per Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter video link). “They were telling me my chances were kind of low of making the team… they had a video coordinating job open, and I was trying to… ask for an interview for that job just to stay around this team,” Payton told Andrews. “They cut me and next step was to go back to the [G League] or stay here and be close to the team… Next thing you know I get a call saying, ‘You’re the 15th man.'” Payton, currently on a one-year, $1.9MM contract with Golden State, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and will certainly not have to worry about a contingency video coordinator gig in the immediate future. The 29-year-old journeyman finally emerged as a full-time rotation player during his second season with Golden State, averaging 17.6 MPG across 71 contests. His modest counting stats of 7.1 PPG, 3.5 APG and 1.4 SPG belie his on-court impact — he has established himself as one of the team’s top wing defenders.
Warriors wing Klay Thompson has scored just 26 points on 10-of-33 shooting from the field across his first two NBA Finals games against the Celtics, with swingman Jaylen Brown serving as his main defender. Anthony Slater of The Athletic wonders how much of Thompson’s shooting woes are the result of the Celtics’ excellent perimeter defense, and how much is merely a product of a shooting slump.

Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Game 6, Looney, Thompson

May 14th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Andrew Wiggins shined at the right time for the Warriors in their second-round series against the Grizzlies, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic writes. Wiggins had a strong showing in Game 6, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds. He also made some key shots down the stretch.

“I believed in him from the jump,” teammate Klay Thompson said of Wiggins. “When he was with Minnesota, it was tough because to shoulder the load so much. Now with us, he can kind of be himself and play to his strengths and he was huge for us tonight.”

Wiggins was named an All-Star this season for the first time in his career. He averaged 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in the series against Memphis, shooting 47% from the field. Golden State will need his production when it plays Phoenix or Dallas in the Western Conference Finals next round.

Here are some other Warriors-related notes:

Along with Wiggins, big man Kevon Looney also had an impressive performance in Game 6, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. Slater believes Looney had the best game of his career. In 35 minutes, he pulled down 22 rebounds and dished out five assists, controlling the interior. After being out-rebounded 55-37 in Game 5, the Warriors won the rebound battle 70-44 in Game 6 — and Looney is a big reason why. The 26-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
After rehabbing a torn ACL and torn Achilles tendon, Klay Thompson has mastered the work-life balance, Mark Medina of NBA.com writes. Thompson, a nine-year NBA veteran, missed the entire 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons due to the rehab. “Balance is key, even during this time with the emotional roller coaster of the playoffs,” he explained. “Whether it’s reading or taking a walk with your dog or a boat ride or a bike ride. I try to think of simple things that keep me happy.”
“Game 6 Klay” also returned for the Warriors on Friday, Marcus Thompson II explores for The Athletic. Thompson poured in 30 points, shooting 11-of-22 from the floor and 8-of-14 from deep. He has had some historic Game 6 performances in the past, including 41 points against the Thunder in 2016, 35 points against the Rockets in 2018 and 30 points against the Raptors in 2019, as noted in the story.

Pacific Notes: Thompson, Wiseman, CP3, Johnson, Covington

May 6th, 2022 at 10:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he and the team’s training staff feel good about Klay Thompson‘s health status, and that fatigue isn’t a factor in Thompson’s shooting slump, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Thompson has shot 11-for-38 from the field in the first two games against Memphis, including 5-of-22 from deep and 0-of-2 from the line, but he did hit a crucial go-ahead three-pointer late in Game 1.

Kerr also said that no matter how far the Warriors advance in the playoffs, they won’t consider playing James Wiseman, who was ruled out for the season at the end of March (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of Andscape). Wiseman had a couple of knee surgeries over the past 13 months and experienced some setbacks in his rehab.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

John Hollinger of The Athletic details how Suns star Chris Paul has been dominating the playoffs. Paul, who turned 37 today, is averaging ridiculous numbers through eight games: 22.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.9 assists (against 1.6 turnovers) and 1.6 steals on .580/.333/.970 shooting. He’s shooting 67.4% on twos. That is not a typo. Paul’s been arguably the best player in the postseason to this point, says Hollinger. (Side note: Paul has seven turnovers in the first half of Game 3 against the Mavericks, which is in progress. That figure represents a career-high for a half, Dwain Price of Mavs.com tweets. The Suns currently trail 51-44.)
Suns head coach Monty Williams has been working with Cameron Johnson on his post play recently, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays. “Just teaching him how to use his strength a little bit,” Williams said. “He’s got some tools down there. Just talking to him about balance and footwork and stuff like that.” Johnson is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. He was a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award, which went to Tyler Herro.
Robert Covington‘s newly-inked two-year, $24MM extension with the Clippers is fully guaranteed, with no option in the second year, reports Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).

Pacific Notes: Poole, Thompson, S. Johnson, Kawhi, Kaminsky

April 9th, 2022 at 12:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors veteran Andre Iguodala recently compared two third-year players, former teammate Tyler Herro and current teammate Jordan Poole, and thinks both players could be in for big paydays on their next contracts.

“It’s funny. I’m hearing Tyler is looking at a max contract. I’m laughing at Jordan, like, it’s the same thing,” Iguodala said (video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic).

As third-year former first-round pick, Poole is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, though Golden State might opt to wait until after the 2022/23 season to offer him a new deal in order to maintain financial flexibility. He’d be a restricted free agent at that point.

Poole is having a breakout season for the Warriors, averaging 18.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists on .454/.368/.920 shooting (.602 true) through 74 games (30 minutes per night). He’s been outstanding since the beginning of March, averaging 25.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists on .492/.437/.910 shooting in the past 19 games.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Warriors guard Klay Thompson will miss Saturday’s game at San Antonio for precautionary reasons, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Thompson has typically been held out of the second game of back-to-backs, but coach Steve Kerr decided to switch things up and rest him on the first night this time instead. Thompson has been red-hot lately, scoring a combined 69 points over his past two games.
After Friday’s win over the Thunder, forward Stanley Johnson said he hopes the Lakers exercise their team option to retain him for next season, according to team beat reporter Mike Trudell (Twitter link). “Hopefully I’ve played well enough that they would take me back,” Johnson said.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said on Friday that Kawhi Leonard hasn’t advanced past individual workouts yet, as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times relays (via Twitter). Leonard has missed the entire season after suffering a torn ACL last June.
Suns head coach Monty Williams said “it was tough decision for us” to part with Frank Kaminsky, who was released on Thursday. “He meant a lot to us, and me personally, I’m grateful for everything he did for us. I just wish he could’ve gone on with us, but these are tough decisions that we have to make. The cool part was, he totally understood and it just says a lot about who he is as a person,” Williams said (video link from Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).

Warriors Notes: Green, Thompson, Porter, Iguodala

March 28th, 2022 at 10:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors are trying to survive the remainder of the regular season without Stephen Curry, due to his foot injury. They were also without three other key players during their lopsided loss in Memphis tonight. Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Otto Porter Jr. sat out the game, as Kendra Andrews on ESPN tweets.

On the flip side, Andre Iguodala played for the first time since February 7 after recovering from a back injury. Iguodala wound up playing 16 minutes.

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In terms of Iguodala, he told Anthony Slater of The Athletic he needs to “crank it up.” Knee and hip issues have also sidelined him prior to the back pain. “It’s like cancer spreading out to different areas,” he said. “Small things. Nerve damage here. Bulging disc there. The pieces never really quite come together. One area will feel really good and then another area (hurts) the next day and you’re starting over with your rehab. It’s frustrating.”
When Green returns to action, he’s determined to make a bigger impact. In seven games since he recovered from a back injury, Green has a minus-41 plus-minus rating, Andrews notes. “I’ve just got to grind my way out of it,” Green said. “Make plays and impact the game. That’s why I feel like I’ve been terrible. I don’t feel like my impact has been on the game when it needs to be and normally is. I’ve just got to work my way out of it. Chip away at it every time I step on the court.”
Unless Green turns things around, the Warriors are doomed to a have short postseason run, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area opines. Green is one of the few players in the league capable of turning a game, or part of a season, in his team’s favor due to his defensive prowess.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Iguodala, Kuminga, Kerr

March 27th, 2022 at 10:06pm CST by JD Shaw

Warriors star Klay Thompson logged 40 minutes in the team’s game against the Hawks on Friday, a major accomplishment since recovering from a torn ACL and torn Achilles’ tendon. The 32-year-old finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the loss, shooting 9-of-16 from deep.

“That’s a big win for me,” Thompson said on recording 40 minutes, as relayed by Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com. “I can’t remember the last time I played 40 minutes … a huge milestone for me.”

Head coach Steve Kerr also complimented Thompson after the contest, calling it his best outing since returning. Thompson’s previous season-high in minutes was 38 against San Antonio one week ago, while is next highest was just under 34 against Milwaukee on March 12.

“Rick (Celebrini) may not be (comfortable with it),” Kerr said, referring to the team’s director of sports medicine and performance (as shared by Anthony Slater of The Athletic). “I may have a text on my phone. But I thought it was Klay’s best game.”

Here are some other notes out of Golden State tonight:

Kerr is hopeful that Andre Iguodala will return against the Grizzlies on Monday, Slater shares in a separate tweet. Iguodala has been dealing with a back injury and last played on February 7. He’s appeared in 26 games this season, averaging 4.1 points and 3.8 assists in 19.9 minutes per contest.
Golden State started Jonathan Kuminga in place of Kevon Looney on Friday, as noted by Slater (Twitter link). This allowed Draymond Green to play center, pairing Looney with Otto Porter Jr. off the bench. The team used the same starting lineup for its game against the Wizards on Sunday.
Kerr explained his rationale behind the lineup adjustment, noting how it’s important to settle on a lineup before the playoffs come. “We’re going to have a ton of flexibility these last eight games,” he said as part of a full quote, according to Andrews (Twitter link). “Without Steph, everything changes for us in terms of the domino effect of different rotations. I decided to separate Draymond and Loon for more spacing and more shooting on the floor at the same time.” Stephen Curry remains out due to a sprained ligament in his foot and is expected to return before the postseason.