Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (Achilles) has made good progress in his rehab over the summer and is anticipated to participate in controlled drills during training camp as a result. Reports recently surfaced that Thompson could make it back for the Christmas Day matchup against Phoenix. However, if he continues to progress in the right direction, there is a chance he could be back sooner. The veteran hasn't played since tearing his left ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals before eventually succumbing to a torn right Achilles in November of 2020. Still, he has been one of the most impactful fantasy options over the years, currently holding a career average of 19.5 points while shooting nearly 42 percent from deep. Nonetheless, even if fantasy managers get at least a half a season out of the 31-year-old, he is still worth a stash, especially in category formats.

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (Achilles) could make his long-awaited return during the Christmas Day matchup against the Phoenix Suns. It's been a while since Thompson has been on the hardwood in an official capacity, with his most recent appearance during the 2019 NBA Finals resulting in a torn ACL. While a potential December comeback is undoubtedly welcome news, it will probably take him a month or so to build back up to full strength. However, a late-round stash for fantasy managers is still certainly warranted.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors general manager Bob Myers has little doubt Golden State will sign newly crowned scoring champion Stephen Curry to a contract extension this offseason. “I don’t see any reason not to be optimistic,” Myers said Monday, three days after his team's season ended in a play-in game against the Grizzlies. “He seems like he’s motivated, we’re motivated. I would say pretty confident we’ll get something done.” In December, Curry said discussions were underway and that he is “fully committed.” The two-time NBA MVP signed a $201 million, five-year contract in July 2017 that initially was the richest ever, until James Harden topped it with a $228 million extension from the Rockets. “Obviously, we want Steph back in the worst way," coach Steve Kerr said. “There’s no reason to think why that won’t happen.” The shock of the season's abrupt end hadn't quite sunk in for two-time MVP Curry after Friday's loss at home to the Grizzlies, but he was already looking at what moves might... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — All along, Stephen Curry just wanted to play for something at the end after everybody counted out his Golden State Warriors from the beginning. He could only be proud when this group fell just short of the goal, appreciating how sick and saddened his teammates felt when they didn't get it done. The Warriors were eliminated from playoff contention with a 117-112 overtime loss to Memphis on Friday night in the second play-in game. That after losing a 103-100 heartbreaker to LeBron James and the Lakers two days earlier in Los Angeles. “I would love a playoff experience and seven-game series and see how we respond to that challenge. We have two — I call it three playoff games, the last game of the season and these last two play-in situations,” Curry said. "But it’s not how it’s drawn up in terms of the format, and now we have three months to rejuvenate, retool, come back next season, whatever that means. “These last three games, including the homestand, I call it nine games,... [More]

Never. That’s the last time the NBA saw a shooting stretch like the one Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors has assembled over the past few weeks. It’s been 45 years since the last instance of an NBA MVP being selected from a team that wasn’t at least 10 games over the .500 mark, but Curry has shot his way into serious consideration. He’s averaging 31.4 points on 49% shooting this season; the only other season in which he averaged more than 30 points was 2015-16, when he averaged 30.1 on 50% shooting — and was the unanimous MVP. Those Warriors were 73-9. These Warriors are 29-29. That’s the big difference, the biggest reason why Curry isn’t even more prevalent in the MVP talks. “He’s never played any better, that’s for sure,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s been incredible to watch.” Bob Pettit and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players to win MVP awards on teams that had winning percentages below .560. The award typically goes to the best player on a team that finishes high... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Klay Thompson has taken up swimming in chilly San Francisco Bay to mix things up as he endures yet another year-long rehab for his right Achilles tendon immediately after working back from a torn ACL in his left knee. Truly a Splash Brother now. “It was life changing!” he declared, “It was amazing. I was like, ‘I need to do this more often.’” “I'm going to incorporate that into my routine now,” Thompson added. “Tim Duncan swam his whole career and he played for 21 years. These last few years have allowed me to look at things and re-evaluate how I train and how I diet, that's for sure. As I'm getting older I've got to do all the little things.” Thompson has ditched the walking boot and is driving again post-surgery. He can lift weights and ride the stationary bike. And for his cerebral side, the Golden State star is finding some non-physical activities to become more well-rounded during the grind of this recovery process. “Read books, play chess and watch a lot of movies,”... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Klay Thompson has taken up swimming in chilly San Francisco Bay to mix things up as he endures yet another year-long rehab for his right Achilles tendon immediately after working back from a torn ACL in his left knee. Truly a Splash Brother now. “It was life changing!” he declared, “It was amazing. I was like, ‘I need to do this more often.’” “I'm going to incorporate that into my routine now,” Thompson added. “Tim Duncan swam his whole career and he played for 21 years. These last few years have allowed me to look at things and re-evaluate how I train and how I diet, that's for sure. As I'm getting older I've got to do all the little things.” Thompson has ditched the walking boot and is driving again post-surgery. He can lift weights and ride the stationary bike. And for his cerebral side, the Golden State star is finding some non-physical activities to become more well-rounded during the grind of this recovery process. “Read books, play chess and watch a lot of movies,”... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Klay Thompson has taken up swimming in chilly San Francisco Bay to mix things up as he endures yet another year-long rehab for his right Achilles tendon immediately after working back from a torn ACL in his left knee. Truly a Splash Brother now. “It was life changing!” he declared, “It was amazing. I was like, ‘I need to do this more often.’” “I'm going to incorporate that into my routine now,” Thompson added. “Tim Duncan swam his whole career and he played for 21 years. These last few years have allowed me to look at things and re-evaluate how I train and how I diet, that's for sure. As I'm getting older I've got to do all the little things.” He has ditched the walking boot and is driving again. He can lift weights and ride the stationary bike. And for his cerebral side, the Golden State star is finding some non-physical activities to become more well-rounded during the grind of this recovery process. “Read books, play chess and watch a lot of movies,” he said, smiling... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant is back on the court, just in time to go back to the Bay Area. Durant rejoined the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, a day ahead of his return to the place where Stephen Curry said the Warriors played “some of the best basketball l think the world has ever seen” when Durant was one of them. “That was an amazing three years of a moment in time,” Curry said. Now in his first season playing for the Nets, Durant is set to resume what's been a stop-and-start season for the star forward. He has missed three games for coronavirus health and safety protocol reasons, facing a mandatory seven-day quarantine after being a close contact of a team employee who tested positive for the virus. Golden State's players were certainly planning on him to play. The trouble started in a bizarre and frustrating night for Durant and the Nets against Toronto last Friday. Durant was told he couldn't start the game shortly before tipoff, then was cleared to enter in the first quarter, resulting... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant is back on the court, just in time to go back to the Bay Area. Durant rejoined the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, a day ahead of his return to the place where Stephen Curry said the Warriors played “some of the best basketball l think the world has ever seen” when Durant was one of them. “That was an amazing three years of a moment in time,” Curry said. Now in his first season playing for the Nets, Durant is set to resume what's been a stop-and-start season for the star forward. He has missed three games for coronavirus health and safety protocol reasons, facing a mandatory seven-day quarantine after being a close contact of a team employee who tested positive for the virus. The trouble started in a bizarre and frustrating night for Durant and the Nets against Toronto last Friday. Durant was told he couldn't start the game shortly before tipoff, then was cleared to enter in the first quarter, resulting in his first appearance off the bench in his 867-game career.... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors guard Klay Thompson underwent surgery on his torn right Achilles tendon Wednesday and still is expected to be sidelined the entire season for Golden State. Dr. Richard Ferkel performed the operation in Los Angeles, the team said. Thompson got hurt playing in a pickup game last Wednesday in Southern California and had an MRI exam the following day in Los Angeles that revealed the severity of the injury. Thompson didn’t play at all during the coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 season as he worked back from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee that he suffered that injury in the deciding Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Free agent guard Brad Wanamaker has signed with the Golden State Warriors, giving the team additional depth in the wake of Klay Thompson's Achilles injury that will sideline him all season. The Warriors announced the deal Tuesday, two days after acquiring guard Kelly Oubre from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade for draft picks. Thompson will miss the season after tearing his right Achilles tendon while playing a pickup game in Southern California last Wednesday. He already sat out the coronavirus-shortened season recovering from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee that he injured during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Wanamaker spent the past two seasons with Boston. He averaged 6.9 points, 2.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds while playing 19.3 minutes in 71 games with one start for the Celtics during 2019-20. He shot an NBA-best 92.6% from the free-throw line, making 126 of 136 shots. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Guard Kelly Oubre is joining the Golden State Warriors to give the team backcourt depth in the wake of Klay Thompson's latest injury, with Oubre acquired Sunday in a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors will send a conditional 2021 first-round draft pick and a 2021 second-round selection — via Denver — to Oklahoma City in the swap. Thompson will miss the season after suffering a torn right Achilles tendon playing a pickup game in Southern California on Wednesday. He already sat out the coronavirus-shortened season recovering from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee that he hurt in the Raptors' clinching Game 6 victory of the 2019 NBA Finals. “We’ve got to look hard and look fast,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said Thursday when Golden State introduced No. 2 overall draft pick James Wiseman and second-rounder Nico Mannion at Chase Center. “But I’ve got some great guys I work with that are working right now on what we can do. And so we’ve got to... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bob Myers called Stephen Curry to break the devastating news that Klay Thompson had torn his Achilles and would miss another season. Silence on the other end. Myers, the Golden State general manager, made the same call to Draymond Green. Again, only quiet. Thompson tore his right Achilles tendon playing in a pickup game Wednesday and had an MRI exam Thursday in Los Angeles that revealed the severity of the injury that typically requires surgery. Right after Thompson worked himself back from knee surgery in early July 2019, now this, another year on the sideline. The Warriors aren’t ready to say what the next steps are for Thompson until they know more. “What hurts the most — and speaking on behalf of Klay, we will move on and we will be OK and he will be OK — but what hurts the most is the time we put into our jobs, the sacrifices we make to do what we do and to do what he does," Myers said. “And for him to have to now not be able to play basketball, that’s the pain.... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson has suffered a torn right Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the upcoming season, the team said Thursday. The team said in a tweet that an MRI performed in Los Angeles had confirmed the injury. Thompson was injured during a pickup game in Southern California on Wednesday. General manager Bob Myers had said athletic trainers would head to Southern California to accompany Thompson as he got his test. The injury could be a severe blow for the Warriors, who finished worst in the NBA last season as they struggled without Thompson and at times without Stephen Curry, who was nursing a broken left hand that sidelined him for more than four months. Thompson didn’t play at all during the coronavirus-shortened season as he worked back from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee. He suffered that injury in the deciding Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Myers said Thompson’s injury had Golden State considering altering its draft decisions Wednesday night but the Warriors stuck with their plan to select Memphis center James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall selection. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State guard Klay Thompson injured his lower right leg during a pickup game in Southern California and will undergo tests Thursday. “You can be hopeful, you can be concerned, probably all those things combined, and until we know more tomorrow I'll save my ... I'll just hope for good news," general manager Bob Myers said after Wednesday night's NBA draft. The team announced the injury without providing further details about the severity or any timeline for his availability with training camp starting Dec. 1 and the season beginning Dec. 22. Thompson was scheduled to be evaluated, and Myers expected to know more Thursday. Myers said the athletic trainers and possibly coach Steve Kerr would head to Southern California to accompany Thompson. “I guess this business teaches you to wait to hear for sure on any of these things,” Myers said. “Obviously dealing with some of the injuries we've dealt with in the last couple years, it doesn't harden you, it doesn't make it... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State guard Klay Thompson injured his leg Wednesday during a workout on his own in Southern California. The team announced the injury without providing further details about the severity or any timeline for his availability with training camp starting Dec. 1 and the season beginning Dec. 22. Thompson was scheduled to be evaluated in the coming days, Golden State said. It was unclear how this might affect Golden State's draft decisions Wednesday, when the Warriors held the No. 2 overall selection. This could be a severe blow for the Warriors, who finished worst in the NBA last season. Thompson didn't play at all during the coronavirus-shortened season as he worked back from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee. He suffered that injury in the deciding Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State guard Klay Thompson injured his right leg Wednesday during a workout in Southern California. The team announced the injury without providing further details about the severity or any timeline for his availability with training camp starting Dec. 1 and the season beginning Dec. 22. It was unclear how this might affect Golden State's draft decisions Wednesday, when the Warriors held the No. 2 overall selection. This could be a severe blow for the Warriors, who finished worst in the NBA last season. Thompson didn't play at all during the coronavirus-shortened season this year as he worked back from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee. He suffered that injury in the deciding Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bob Myers hears the chatter about everything riding on Golden State's draft pick at No. 2 overall. About all the pressure on his shoulders to find just the right player to join Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, star forward Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins. Someone who will make an instant impact and immediately help the Warriors return to contention and respectability following a last-place finish. All the social media speculation, oh yes, the Warriors' general manager is aware of the intrigue. Might they possibly trade away their pick for flexibility to build another super team, or will they choose to use it? “I read all that stuff, too. I was like, ‘I feel the weight,’” Myers joked on a recent Zoom call. "I feel like every year, everything you do is make-or-break, trade, draft, I don’t know. But you can’t really think like that. You’ve got to operate not out of fear. So, hopefully we get it right, and if you don’t, you deal with that. That’s the life... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Golden State Warriors expect to have a better idea about how Klay Thompson’s recovery from reconstructive left knee surgery is going once the team can finally reconvene after the long separation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.For now, general manager Bob Myers is encouraged Thompson has experienced no setbacks during the extensive rehabilitation process.“I think we’ve got to take a look at him when we see him," Myers said Monday on a conference call. “There’s different versions of 100% — 100% for you or I when we walk around the street is not 100% of an NBA basketball player playing basketball. So until we kind of test him and see him and he’s starting one-on-one and then two-on-two — and obviously the pandemic has not allowed him that opportunity to do those type of things.” Thompson tore the ACL in his left knee on June 13 during Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors and had surgery July 2. He was reevaluated over the All-Star break and the... [More]