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Klay Thompson, James Wiseman Recalled from G League by Warriors amid Injury Rehab
December 1, 2021
The Golden State Warriors announced Wednesday that guards Klay Thompson and Damion Lee and center James Wiseman were recalled from the G League's Santa Cruz Warriors.
Thompson, Wiseman and Lee had all been practicing with Santa Cruz while rehabbing injuries.
Neither Thompson nor Wiseman have appeared in any games this season, as Thompson missed the past two seasons with a torn ACL and torn Achilles, while Wiseman underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in April.
While the Warriors didn't announce plans for when Thompson or Wiseman will return to action, they are now eligible to play, meaning a return could be imminent.
When healthy, the 31-year-old Thompson is one of the best offensive players in the NBA and one of the best three-point shooters in history.
The five-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion owns career averages of 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 three-pointers made and 2.3 assists per game over his eight-year NBA career.
Thompson shoots an impressive 41.9 percent from three-point range for his career, which ranks 13th on the all-time NBA list. His 1,798 career three-point field goals made rank 21st all time as well.
The Warriors may integrate Thompson slowly since he hasn't played in over two seasons, but his return will give Golden State two elite shooters in Klay and MVP candidate Stephen Curry.
Wiseman, 20, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, but injuries limited him to just 39 games.
In those 39 games, Wiseman shot 51.9 percent from the field and averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per contest.
The 7-footer has star potential, and he adds some much-needed frontcourt depth to a Warriors team that has primarily leaned on Kevon Looney and Nemanja Bjelica at center.
Lee is averaging 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 three-pointers made in 15 games this season, and his return will give head coach Steve Kerr another solid option off the bench.
Even with Thompson and Wiseman missing the entire season, the Warriors are tied with the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA at 18-3.
Adding two supremely talented players to the mix, including a potential future Hall of Famer in Thompson, will make the Dubs the team to beat in the NBA.