Excluding recent draftees Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins, the Golden State Warriors have four young players who could foreseeably develop into starting caliber NBA players.
One of them is Poole, who’s practically reached that level despite going into next season as the Warriors’ designated sixth man. The other three, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, still have a way to go but could theoretically reach the level in as early as two or three seasons.
Poole is a ready-to-go replacement for Stephen Curry, which opens an incredulously difficult tunnel to navigate given the Finals MVP has multiple years left as a dominant starting point guard. We’ll move on from this issue as it will undoubtedly be discussed ad nauseam in the future.
Moody presents as a potential replacement for Thompson. No one is projecting him to be the same level of sniper as the second member of the ‘Splash Brothers, but he has a similar archetype in his physical makeup and three-and-D skill set.
Kuminga, after the signs in his rookie season, forecasts as a dynamic power-forward capable of being a physically imposing force on both ends. He’s not the same sort of player as Green, but he could be a serviceable starting replacement in the medium to long term.
Injuries have limited Wiseman’s development, with the former number two overall pick has not played in an NBA game since April 2021. While Looney remains as the Warriors’ reliable starting center, Wiseman has undoubted upside that should see him take the mantle in the next couple of seasons.
So, back to the main question – who to prioritize out of Green, Poole and Wiggins?