Klay out for season with torn Achilles
An MRI exam Thursday confirmed Warriors guard Klay Thompson suffered a torn right Achilles tendon while playing in a pickup game Wednesday in the Los Angeles area and will miss his second consecutive season.
Thompson, 30, didn’t play in the 2019- 20 season as he worked his way back from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee suffered in the last game of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Raptors.
The Warriors weren’t ready to say what the next steps are for Thompson, a five time All- Star, until they know more.
“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,’’ Warriors general manager Bob Myers said. ‘‘ And for him to have to not be able to play basketball, that’s the pain. That’s the pain we feel for him.
‘‘ Nobody deserves anything like this that befalls them. But this is a guy that loves basketball, bleeds basketball.’’
The injury is a huge blow for the Warriors, who were an NBAworst 15- 50 last season as they struggled without Thompson and, at times, without fellow guard Stephen Curry, who suffered a broken left hand that sidelined him for more than four months.
Myers said Thompson’s injury had the Warriors considering altering their draft decisions Wednesday, but they stuck with their plan to select Memphis center James Wiseman at No. 2.
ESPN reported the Warriors were on the verge of acquiring forward Kelly Oubre from the Thunder to help fill the void created by Thompson’s injury.
Hawks, Pistons agree on deal
Multiple outlets reported the Hawks have agreed to trade center Dewayne Dedmon to the Pistons for guards Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas. Neither team announced the deal because it needs approval from the NBA before becoming official.
The trade allows the Hawks to clear a logjam at center. They acquired center Clint Capela from the Rockets at the trade deadline last season and selected center Onyeka Okongwu from USC with the No. 6 pick Wednesday.
Knicks clear $ 40M in cap space
The Knicks waived guards Elfrid Payton and Wayne Ellington and power forward Taj Gibson and declined their option on big man Bobby Portis a year after signing all four in free agency. The moves created about $ 40 million in salary- cap space as free agency begins Friday.
Hayward, Rivers opt out
ESPN reported Celtics forward Gordon Hayward and Rockets guard Austin Rivers, the son of 76ers coach Doc Rivers, are among those who have decided to opt out of their contracts and become unrestricted free agents Friday.