NBA Rumors: ‘Signs’ led to Klay-Warriors breakup, Knicks emergency trade, Porzingis return timeline

The return of NBA basketball is right around the corner, which means the scuttlebutt is soon to pick up. The last month or so has been awfully quiet in the rumor mill, but these GMs and team presidents don’t take time off. It’s a year-round job, which means plenty has been occurring behind the scenes. Now it will all bubble to the surface, slowly but surely, or perhaps all at once in a blaze of glory. You never know with this league.

With training camp on the docket for all 30 teams, there’s a lot of house-keeping to be done. New faces to introduce, old faces to placate, and of course, injuries to navigate. Here are the latest rumors from around the association.

Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss an extended period of time after receiving offseason surgery on a left ankle tendon. The sweet-shooting 7-footer put together his best campaign to date for the Boston Celtics last season, but an ankle injury derailed his participation in the playoffs. Now, it will keep Porzingis on the bench for at least a couple months.

That said, it could be worse. Porzingis appears optimisitic about his recovery and he even supplied fans with a semi-concrete return timeline.

“The expectation is sometime in December,” Porzingis told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “But I’m feeling really good and I’m working towards hopefully playing earlier than that.”

I am not a doctor and I do not have direct access to Porzingis’ medical file, so there’s no telling for sure when the Latvian sensation will actually get back on the court. December appears more like a soft target right now, but complications are always a possibility. Porzingis has a disconcerting history of lower-leg ailments, so Boston will need to tread carefully with its prized rim protector.

Boston does, of course, have the depth to stay afloat in Porzingis’ absence. Though he may be old, Al Horford continues to impact winning with his defensive versatility, floor-spacing, and preternatural instincts. Horford won’t protect the rim as well as Porzingis, and Boston’s defense will suffer accordingly, but the Celtics shouldn’t plummet too far in the standings before Porzingis is back up and running.

The New York Knicks are stuck between a rock and a hard place after Isaiah Hartenstein left in free agency. Mitchell Robinson was the obvious next man up to start at center, but he’s now out until at least December as he recovers from ankle surgery. The next next man up is… Precious Achiuwa? Jericho Sims? Julius Randle? The options aren’t great.

One has to imagine the Knicks will scour the trade market for a quick fix and some much-needed frontcourt depth. New York was connected to several intriguing names throughout the offseason, including Walker Kessler and Clint Capela, but neither seems too plausible right now. Instead, the Knicks are probably aiming for a solid backup who can eat starting minutes in a pinch.

James Edwards III of The Athletic pinpoints one potential option in Charlotte Hornets 7-footer Nick Richards.

“Richards, who league sources tell The Athletic is someone the Knicks have had on their radar this offseason, is a big, physical specimen with a good motor,” writes Edwards. “He rebounds OK, too, and can be disruptive at the rim.”

Edwards goes as far as to propose a trade involving Miles McBride, which would sufficiently upset the entirety of New York’s fandom. McBride was a postseason hero during the Knicks’ brief 2024 playoffs stint. Even if backup center is a more pressing need than backup point guard in the short term, the Knicks should probably find a more creative route to acquiring Richards and his $5 million salary. McBride is too valuable in the long term.

Richards started 51 of 67 appearances for the Hornets last season, averaging 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on 69.1 percent shooting in 26.3 minutes.

The Golden State Warriors‘ roster will look and feel a lot different next season. Klay Thompson, after one of the most historic careers in franchise history, inked a new three-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He’s in the same conference, working alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the reigning champs. It doesn’t feel right. Kyrie and Klay being teammates is especially wonky.

For the Warriors (and for Klay), however, it was a long overdue change. Thompson’s decline was evident for years and he became outwardly frustrated, both with his role and with his performance. It was hard for Thompson to grapple with his basketball mortality. The Warriors, meanwhile, needed to start transitioning to the younger and, frankly, better Brandin Podziemski.

Steve Kerr was open about the frustrations of last season and the “signs” that led to Thompson’s unceremonious Warriors exit.

“Yeah, there were signs,” Kerr said on The TK Show. “Obviously, none of us knew what would happen, we all wanted him to stay. I wanted Klay to be a Warrior for life, it felt like the right thing. But you never really know what the right thing is for someone else, only that person knows. And I think by the end of the year, I think Klay knew for his own sake that he wanted to leave.”

The Golden State coach wishes nothing but the best for Thompson in his new home. He hopes Klay can “move on from the injuries psychologically and emotionally,” citing the potential benefits of a fresh start and less baggage. The presence of Doncic and Irving should help Thompson a lot, at least on the offensive end. He’s still one of the most prolific spot-up shooters in the NBA and he should get a steady diet of clean looks beyond the arc. His off-ball motion could add fun new wrinkles to the Mavs offense, too.

It’s fair to wonder how Thompson will navigate his diminished athleticism and declining defense, but shooters of his caliber tend to maintain value. The Mavs are an established title threat and Thompson only improves their outlook.