After Klay Thompson’s injury, the NBA granted the Golden State Warriors a disabled player exception, which could be useful in trades.
The Golden State Warriors finished with a league-worst 15-50 record last season as they were heavily impacted by injuries, and no other team in the association seemed more destined for a turnaround.
Their star backcourt of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry were back to full strength after playing just a combined five games throughout the 2019-20 season, and the franchise made several other moves to position themselves for a rejuvenation. However, after missing the entirety of last season with a torn ACL, tragedy struck once more for Klay Thompson as he suffered a torn Achilles in a workout just weeks ago.
Thompson’s injury is a devastating blow for the Warriors without question, but it does not derail their chances of leaping back into contention entirely. Golden State is not going to give in that easily, as they fortified their starting lineup by trading for Kelly Oubre Jr. soon after the Thompson news broke.
Oubre completes a formidable starting lineup alongside Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and James Wiseman, a group that, on paper, could still make some noise out west. Now, the NBA has granted the Warriors a $9.3 million disabled player exception that could be used to add some more pieces to their bench.
The Warriors can use the DPE to sign or trade for a player of equal or less value, which leaves them with a handful of compelling options in the wake of Thompson’s unfortunate injury. Without further ado, here are three players that the Golden State Warriors should target using their DPE that expires in April.