Kerr: Klay ‘unlikely’ to play this season

Don’t hold your breath for Klay Thompson.

It’s just not realistic for the Warriors’ sharpshooter to play during the 2019-20 season as he recovers from the ACL he tore during last season’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals, according to Steve Kerr.

“Generally an ACL for a basketball player is a full year recovery and if it’s a full year for Klay, that puts him out for the season,” Kerr said in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area. “It’s unlikely he’s gonna play this year.”

There had been some talk about the possibility Thompson could return by the end of the season or in time for a potential playoff run. But the 29-year-old had surgery on his torn ACL on July 1.

“We kind of left the door open in case the rehab goes perfectly and the doctors say he can go, but the reality is… April first is nine months post op for an ACL,” Kerr said. “We have to prepare our young guys to fill that role behind him, and when he gets back, whenever that is, hopefully these young guys now are developed and in the rotation and ready to really be contributors on a playoff team and we can get better.”

Thompson has spent his entire eight-year career with Golden State after the team drafted him No. 11 overall in 2011. He had been remarkably durable since entering the league out of Washington State. The only season he failed to play 73 or more games came as a rookie (66).

The five-time All-Star has helped the Warriors to three NBA championships since the 2014-15 season. He finished last season with a 46.7 fieldgoal percentage, a 40.2 three-point percentage and an 81.6 free-throw percentage.