Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson has undergone surgery on Wednesday after he tore his right Achilles tendon, according to the team.
Thompson has not played in the NBA for 17 months after he suffered a torn ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Dr. Richard Ferkel, who performed the surgery, said the Warriors’ guard will likely need nine to 12 months to recover. Ferkel has previously worked with other NBA players, including Joel Embiid and Wesley Matthews.
Golden State was positioned to return to contention this season before the injury forced Thompson off the court. The Warriors may have a tougher time competing for home-court advantage in this season’s playoffs.
The team added Kelly Oubre Jr., Brad Wanamaker, and Kent Bazemore in hopes of bolstering its wing depth.
Thompson’s injury had led the Warriors to apply for a $9.3 million disabled player exception. This would allow the team to sign a player to a one-year deal without using salary-cap space, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.