Here are Warriors' six best options to replace injured Klay
The Warriors reportedly got confirmation Thursday of their worst fears regarding Klay Thompson's health, as the star suffered an Achilles tear during a workout Wednesday in Southern California, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported citing sources.After missing the entire 2019-20 season following an ACL tear in the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson likely again will be forced to miss an entire NBA season, with the start of next season less than a month away.Golden State selected Nico Mannion out of Arizona in the second round of Wednesday night's draft, but will need more help at that position before next season begins to fill the void left by Thompson.The Warriors went ahead and chose center James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick in Wednesday night's draft despite hearing of Thompson's injury hours before, but likely now will need to find a replacement for Thompson's production. Jordan Poole was a first-round pick in last year's draft, but isn't anywhere close to being a starter-quality shooting guard in the NBA.Let's take a look at six potential replacements for Thompson's output the Warriors can find through free agency or a potential trade.
Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported this week that Bradley is being courted by several teams in free agency, one of which happens to be the Warriors.
Coming off a championship run with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bradley is a great perimeter defender with veteran chops who shot 36 percent from three.
Bradley declined a player option worth around $5 million with the Lakers, and the midlevel exception being worth around $6 million could make sense for Bradley at this spot.
Acquired by the Oklahoma City Thunder when Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns, Oubre long has been rumored as a potential option for the Warriors to acquire with the $17.2 traded player exception (TPE).
Oklahoma City appears to be entering a rebuilding phase and has amassed an impressive haul of draft picks, which they likely would want to add to in any potential Oubre deal.
Oubre has shown an ability to produce in multiple roles in the NBA, and averaged 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game over 34.5 minutes per game with Phoenix.
The 25-year-old isn't quite the shooter Thompson is, as he hit 35.2 percent of his threes a year ago. But Oubre is a high-level defender who could take some pressure off Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins by matching up against opposing teams' top wing players.
Redick is an outstanding perimeter shooter and veteran who had a 13-year playoff streak snapped this past season.
The 36-year-old likely wouldn't have much of an issue meshing with the Warriors' roster, and at least could help replace some of Thompson's ability on the offensive end.
Redick is set to make $13 million, but the Warriors could try to make some kind of trade work with the Pelicans and utilize most of the TPE.
They'd have some money left over to try and bring in another player as well if Redick were brought in.
This would involve a trade with a bitter rival, but the general chaos around the Houston Rockets could lead to Gordon being an intriguing trade target.
Gordon's percentage from three has been trending down in recent years (just 31.9 percent in 2019-20) but he's also averaged 8.5 or more attempts in four consecutive seasons.
He also played just 36 games due to a knee injury last season. He certainly could replace Thompson's volume of outside shooting.
Gordon's $16.8 million contract would just sneak within the TPE, but he would have two additional years of $19-plus million seasons after next year, which would put even more strain on the Warriors' future cap situation.
The veteran won both the Sixth Man of the Year and 3-point contest back in 2017, and could recapture that success in a new setting after four turbulent seasons in Houston.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been rumored as a likely landing spot for Matthews, but the 34-year-old might be swayed by getting the chance to earn major playing time and work alongside Steph Curry.
Matthews declined a $2.6 million player option with the Milwaukee Bucks for next season, and is the ideal prototype of a consistent 3-and-D player, even at the age of 34.
A career 38.1 percent shooter from three, Matthews could bring an edge to the rotation and help fill some of the production left in Thompson's absence.
Realistically, the Warriors most likely will need to fill the void left by Thompson with several players, as not many can replicate what Thompson can do night in and night out.
How about a wing who shoots over 40 percent from three and has developed into a solid defender, not to mention a former Warrior who helped Golden State win a championship in 2015?
Holiday could end up going to join his brother Jrue in Milwaukee, but a return to the Bay Area could be enough to make the Warriors the most desirable option for the 31-year-old.
Holiday is coming off a season in which he made $4.7 million, and might be willing to take a discount to compete for a title alongside his former teammates.
