NBA Rumors: Klay Thompson Frustrated With COVID-19 Lockdown, Awaits Clearance

Klay Thompson is aching to get back on the court but will have to wait until the COVID-19 smoke is clear. The 30-year-old guard has not played a single game since suffering an ACL injury in the last NBA Finals. He has been cleared to do shooting drills but his official return is not expected until next season.

His dad, Mychal Thompson, gave an update recently to Mark Medina of USA Today. According to the elder Thompson, Klay is walking around fine but still needs to get medical clearance from his doctors and the Golden State Warriors. With most forced to stay at home, none of these have been done and no talks have been held.

The lull could have given Thompson the chance to suit up this season. However, that depends on what the NBA has in mind. The regular season has yet to conclude and the long wait has raised suggestions that the league may scrap parts of the 2019-20 season. Some insinuate that the regular season may be scrapped and the playoffs being modified. If that is the case, it makes no sense to see the three-time NBA champion suit up for the remainder of the Warriors' games. Golden State is already out and fielding in Thompson could be risky.

Instead, Thompson is focused on working himself back into shape. But it appears things have not been easy for the five-time NBA All-Star. He is forced to work out on his own and needs to keep his shooting up to par. That means having to do exercises on his own. Though there are plans to open some facilities soon, injured players are not included. They need to wait until the coronavirus issue is in the clear.

“He just works out on his own like everybody else. He can’t work out with other guys in groups. You have to find a place to shoot on your own and do your own exercises. These guys know what to do. You run your sprints alone and can find an empty gym. Get a key to an empty gym and go shoot. All of these guys have connections to a gym,” Mychal Thompson said.

There is no telling if Thompson will be ready by the time the 2020-21 NBA season starts. But the COVID-19 may just push that back since the Dubs want to make sure that Klay returns in the proper condition and form. The Dubs are touted to hold the rights to the first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The consensus is that this will be used on Anthony Edwards, who could fill in for Thompson in the early goings. Much of this was discussed in a previous post.