SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Sources close to the Golden State Warriors say after a two-year hiatus, Klay Thompson is expected to play with the team in their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday, according to ESPN.
ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted Monday afternoon that the team expected to make a decision about Thompson once the Warriors return from a two-game trip on Friday.
There’s optimism Golden Warriors guard Klay Thompson will make his return vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, sources tell ESPN. A final decision is expected once the Warriors return from a two-game trip on Friday.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 3, 2022
Thompson, a five-time All Star and, along with Stephen Curry, one half of the deadly 3-point shooting duo “the Splash Brothers,” hasn’t played an NBA game since he tore his ACL during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. He planned to play last season but tore his achilles during a scrimmage in Nov. 2020.
Now he’s completed his rehab and is just waiting for team officials for a go-ahead to step on the court.
In recent weeks, fans have had glimpses of Thompson’s return, as he’s taken practice shots with the team before games. He also spent a 5-day stint with the Warriors’ G-League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors, playing three games with them.
The Warriors are doing well, currently leading the Western Conference with a 28-7 record. With COVID and other issues taking out key players like Draymond Green and Jordan Poole during the season, having Thompson available to come off the bench is seen as a boon for a team dead set on winning the league championship. But when he does return, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Thompson will play sparingly; currently during scrimmages he’s played in four-minute bursts.
“I don’t want to come back and be a shell of myself, I want to come back like I was last time I was playing, and I was one of the best players in the world,” Thompson told the media recently.
