Warriors Rumors: Latest Buzz on Klay Thompson's Injury Rehab, Dragan Bender

With the NBA's scheduled return to play only involving the top 22 teams, the 2019-20 season is essentially over for the Golden State Warriors. While that's a disappointing reality for players and fans, everyone can take comfort in the fact the team should be right back in contention next season.

Golden State was only a poor team because of injuries. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson had significant one, and while Curry returned right before play was suspended, Thompson didn't play at all. However, both should be back in the lineup next year.

According to The Athletic's Anthony Slater, Thompson has nearly completed his rehab on the torn ACL that has kept him off the court.

"Thompson, nearing the one-year anniversary of his left ACL surgery, has been training without restriction on his healed knee," Slater wrote. "He received the final medical clearance a couple weeks back and has been ramping up his workouts since, including a high-octane session on Thursday."

As Slater pointed out in his article, this doesn't mean that Thompson would be ready to play right now. However, it does mean that he should be healthy enough to start rounding into game shape and to experience an uninhibited offseason.

Assuming the Warriors are able to re-sign pending free agent Draymond Green, Golden State's core of Curry, Thompson, Green and Andrew Wiggins will be intact for the 2020-21 season. With a lottery pick possibly being added to the mix, the Warriors should be well-positioned to make another run at a championship.

Teams Eyeing Dragan Bender

While the Warriors core is what will give them a shot at a title, Golden State's depth shouldn't be overlooked. A strong bench was one of the Warriors' calling cards during their run of dominance, and bringing back players like center Dragan Bender could be the key to bringing a deep team into next season.

Bender averaged 9.0 points and 5.9 rebounds during a seven-game audition with the Warriors this past season. While those aren't eye-popping numbers, they helped put Bender on the radar of future potential employers.

According to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports, teams are interested in signing Bender when the transaction window opens on June 23:

Golden State, though, is eager to keep Bender, which could lead the team to make its own offer when the period opens. The Athletic's John Hollinger expects the Warriors to offer Bender a multiyear deal.

At the very least, Bender will be a name to watch in the coming days.