Washington State wing Klay Thompson was a part of the two worst kept secrets in the 2011 NBA Draft. Earlier this week, Thompson changed his plans to head to the NBA Draft at the last-minute, taking a quick detour to San Antonio for a secret workout for the Spurs. When Thompson was a no-show at the NBA Draft media day, and when no reason was given, eyebrows were lifted. The Spurs wanted him, or gave the impression they wanted him, and the secret workout was not-so-secret.
All along, though, the Golden State Warriors were biting their nails, hoping Thompson would be around. When the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Bobcats executed a three-team trade on draft day that moved the Bucks from No. 10 to No. 19, Thompson was all but assured to be the Warriors pick at No. 11. It was no secret at all who Golden State wanted, and all that was left was the waiting game.
When 10 picks flew by and Thompson was still on the board, everyone following the process knew what was coming next. David Stern stepped to the podium, announced Thompson as the 11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and the Washington State Cougars had their highest draft pick ever.
Thompson joins a backcourt with plenty of bodies and not a lot of room. Both Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis will be back, barring a last-minute trade, despite the Warriors efforts to unload Ellis. But with the addition of Thompson, Golden State adds another potent scorer to the mix, creating a formidable three-headed scoring machine that serves as a nice foundation. Of course, it's unknown whether any of the three will be able to play defense at a high-level, but they're certainly be able to put points up in a hurry.
Golden State got its man and head coach Mark Jackson was all smiles on draft night. Thompson will head back to California to begin his professional career with thousands of transplants from the state of Washington who have been wandering aimlessly, looking for an NBA team in tow. It was a good day for Washington State fans, and a better day for Klay Thompson.
Stay with this StoryStream for the latest on the draft and how Thompson may project in the NBA. For more on the Washington State Cougars, head over to SB Nation's CougCenter.