NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Klay Thompson Return, Eric Gordon Trade and Pacers
The NBA rumor mill always buzzes this time of year, with the pool of trade-eligible players ballooning on Dec. 15.
The unique circumstances of the 2021-22 NBA season haven't changed that.
From trade talks to the rumblings around the return of an All-Star, let's get to the latest chatter in the hoops world.
Klay Thompson Targeting Early-to-Mid January Return
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The last time Klay Thompson suited up in an NBA game, Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors were dueling with Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Finals.
It's been a minute, as a pair of injuries—first an ACL tear, then a ruptured Achilles—wiped out back-to-back campaigns for Thompson.
But the sweet-shooting Splash Brother is finally nearing the end point of his grueling rehab process. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thompson and the Warriors are targeting a January return, with home games against the Cleveland Cavaliers (Jan. 9) and the Detroit Pistons (Jan. 18) appearing the likeliest possibilities. An earlier matchup with the Miami Heat (Jan. 3) hasn't been ruled out but "is considered far less likely."
Thompson has reached the conditioning stage of his return, having recently completed a five-day stay with Santa Cruz of the G League and playing "three game-length scrimmages" there, per Wojnarowski. Both the team and the five-time All-Star want him to return at home.
After missing the playoffs the past two seasons, the Warriors entered Monday night with the Association's second-best record at 24-6.
Knicks Mulling Possible Eric Gordon Trade
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The New York Knicks are on the hunt for upgrades, as their current squad has failed to repeat the success of last season's group.
One of the many options they're reportedly considering is a deal for Houston Rockets shooting guard—and Derrick Rose's former AAU teammate—Eric Gordon, per Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Gordon has enjoyed a resurgent season for the Rockets, posting the best field-goal percentage (48.4) and second-highest three-point splash rate (44.4) of his 14-year career. But the 32-year-old is no longer a fit in Space City, where the Rockets are trudging through the early stages of their post-James Harden rebuild.
While Gordon's shooting, shot-creation and quick-strike scoring could attract a number of trade suitors, his contract could be the biggest detriment to a deal. He's owed $18.2 million for this season and $19.6 million for next year (with a non-guaranteed $20.9 million salary for 2023-24, per Spotrac), which could be an issue given his age and lengthy injury history.
Caris LeVert, Myles Turner Most Likely Trade Candidates for Pacers
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Change seems imminent for the Indiana Pacers, who have struggled to gain any traction in head coach Rick Carlisle's first season at the helm. The Pacers are just 13-18 on the season and have already struggled through three losing streaks spanning at least three games each.
A few weeks back, The Athletic's Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz reported the Pacers were "moving toward a substantial rebuild." Now, a clearer picture has been painted on how that could look.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on his Hoop Collective (h/t HoopsRumors.com) podcast that, based on what he's heard, Caris LeVert and Myles Turner are more likely trade candidates than Domantas Sabonis. Windhorst said there hasn't been much trade chatter about Sabonis, whom Matt Moore of the Action Network recently reported "wants out" of Indiana.
The Pacers have rocketed near the top of the list of trade season's biggest wild cards. While some degree of dealing feels likely, it's hard to say what they're hoping to get in return for their plug-and-play vets. Pacers governor Herb Simon recently told reporters he's not interested in a rebuild, and one can probably assume that the 62-year-old Carlisle isn't keen on a tear-down, either.
If Indiana wants to trade established talent for established talent, it could be tricky to upgrade. Maybe a package built around LeVert and Turner nets someone close to a star, but how many teams have a star they're willing to trade and would ship him out for a few non-stars?
