The Golden State Warriors were on track to build a stacked team for this season when they received devastating news: Klay Thompson, the team's shooting guard, tore his right Achille's tendon while working out. He's going to miss all of next season for surgeries and recovery time. In response, the team has taken on Kelly Oubre Jr. as a replacement.
Thompson is one of the NBA's most well-liked players, so this is a blow for the whole league and his fans at home. Before selecting Kelly Oubre Jr., The Warriors were hoping to be in talks with Steph Curry again, but that's another deal that fell through. Because Oubre Jr. is a temporary trade, the team is enacting a $17.2 million trade exception, something that hasn't been done since last year's trade with Andre Iguodala to Memphis.
However, had the team decided not to enact a trade exception, they would have saved their ownership $82 million. While the team is a fan favorite, the Warriors aren't viewed as title contenders this year, so many professional analysts can't seem to rationalize this decision. With Thompson out for the season, the team's standing is more than likely to drop.