The Golden State Warriors knew that they would be without one of last year's superstars this season the moment Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets. Now, it appears as though they've made peace with the loss of another one through injury. 

While the assumption had previously been that Klay Thompson -- who tore his ACL during Game 6 of the NBA Finals -- could return around the All-Star break, Warriors coach Steve Kerr shut down that notion on Tuesday. He told NBC Sports Bay Area that "it's unlikely" Thompson will return this season. He went on to compare Thompson's injury to one of his own from his playing days.  

"It's unlikely that he's going to play this year. So we have to understand that," the Warriors coach said. 

"You have to look at it realistically. I had an ACL [tear] in college, and I missed a whole season. Generally, an ACL for a basketball player is a full-year recovery, and if it's a full year for Klay, that puts them out for the season.

"We've kind of left the door open in case the rehab goes perfectly and the doctors say he can go. But the reality is, on April 1, that's the nine-month mark. ... April versus nine months post-op for an ACL."

An ACL tear is typically a one-year injury, as Kerr says, but some players have managed to return faster than that. Iman Shumpert, for example, managed to return in less than nine months following an ACL tear in the first round of the 2012 playoffs. Stories like that, though, are few and far between. 

Golden State has every reason to be cautious with Thompson during his recovery process. The team suffered a significant PR hit when Durant ruptured his Achilles tendon in the NBA Finals, with many assuming that the Warriors rushed him back onto the court in an attempt to salvage a championship. A championship this season is unlikely for a variety of reasons including Thompson's injury. The Warriors are also hard-capped, thanks to the acquisition of D'Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade, and that has had a significant impact on their depth. 

The safest course of action would be for the Warriors to give Thompson the entire season to recover, and then make a serious push for a fourth championship during the 2020-21 campaign with fortified depth. That appears to be the plan based on Kerr's comments, though nothing is certain at the moment.