What Joe Lacob passionately told front office after Klay news

Share

A couple of hours before Wednesday's NBA draft, the Warriors learned that Klay Thompson potentially sustained a torn right Achilles tendon.

Instead of devoting every ounce of energy to the No. 2 overall pick, the front office had to contemplate what the devastating news could mean to the franchise's present and future.

Warriors owner Joe Lacob on Thursday was a guest on "The TK Show" podcast with The Athletic's Tim Kawakami, and the two had the following exchange.

Kawakami: "One thing that amused me -- there were some people saying, 'OK, just tank the season and get ready for 2021-22.' I had a picture of your face if anyone had mentioned that to you. Could a Joe Lacob team ever say, 'Let's trust the process, let's bag a couple seasons for a draft pick or two?' "

Lacob: "When this happened and we thought about what the consequences might be -- if the injury was as bad as we thought -- I thought about it for about 15 minutes (laughter). And then I got everybody together in the war room right before the draft and I addressed them. Bob (Myers) also addressed them.

"I just said, 'We're not tanking anything. If anybody's even thinking that, get it off your mind. Just forget it. Give me options. What can we do to make this team as good as we can make it and be competitive for our fans?'

"That is certainly the intention."

Download and subscribe to the Dubs Talk Podcast

Unfortunately for the entire basketball world, an MRI on Thursday confirmed that Klay did rupture his Achilles and will miss the entire 2020-21 campaign.

Golden State's front office responded by putting Lacob's directive into practice, as the Warriors agreed to terms on a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder that will have Kelly Oubre rocking a Dubs uniform this season.

With NBA free agency opening Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. PT, the Warriors likely will add another player or two.

RELATED: Warriors now need free agency to finish building contender

But it's unclear exactly how much additional money ownership is willing to spend to fill out the roster, because nobody knows when fans will be allowed to attend games at Chase Center again.

In the end, Lacob and the Warriors badly want to win. And the organization will do what it can to put the best product on the floor.

Follow @DrewShiller on Twitter and Instagram

Contact Us