Could James Wiseman be on the move? If you ask Bob Myers, it appears that the Golden State Warriors have no intent on trading Wiseman, but that doesn’t mean the team isn’t going to listen to offers.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Wiseman had a solid yet flawed rookie season. He was oftentimes awkward in defensive sets and relatively inefficient for a 7-foot center, shooting under 53 percent from the floor.
The Warriors may look to enter win-now mode next season, and if they can return an All-Star, they’ll reportedly be listening to trades for James Wiseman.
But, that certainly doesn’t mean the superstar upside isn’t still there. However, it feels like the understanding in the Bay Area was that Wiseman would’ve been more of a contributing piece and shown more competence on both ends of the court.
While his wingspan and grit will always enable him to have an impact, he may not be what the Warriors need to instantly compete for a title. The Dubs are only planning on trading him if it means getting a piece back that can help them immediately contend.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto shed some light on what the Warriors might want in return for the young center.
"“A league source told HoopsHype that while Golden State is not looking to trade James Wiseman, they would listen if an All-Star player was on the table and one becomes available this summer in potential trade talks,” Scotto wrote."
Some are hoping that the player Scotto is referring to could be Paul George. Down 0-2 in their series to the Dallas Mavericks, the Clippers may be forced to blow it up if Kawhi Leonard leaves in free agency.
Wiseman could insert himself as the face of the franchise, one that would likely struggle for the next half a decade, just like the Phoenix Suns when they were in rebuilding mode. However, adding a player like George would also force the Warriors to part ways with Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins and Wiseman for George, obviously the Warriors would have to add in both their first-round picks this season, could work. While still a long shot, there’s potential for a player like that to be on the table.
There aren’t too many other names that would make sense as the ideal candidate would be a small forward that’s not invaluable like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo. Regardless, the Dubs are listening, and that’s a massive report for early in the offseason.