The obvious, win-now trade the Golden State Warriors can make

Although it’s early days, James Wiseman doesn’t look like a playoff-ready contributor just yet.

Wiseman is only now finding some consistent on-court opportunity — an achievement in itself given his torrid injury run across his first two seasons. Unfortunately, his actual production hasn’t mirrored anything resembling consistency.

The talent that made him a number two overall pick is there — the size and athleticism is eye popping. Offensively he’s looked competent on a lot of occasions, diving to the rim and displaying soft touch from a few feet. At other times he looks frustrated at the lack of opportunities, unsurprising given the Warriors modern offense has never prioritized big men.

Defensively, it’s been nothing short of a nightmare. The seven-footer has been unable to utilise his frame and long wingspan to be a consistent factor at the rim. Instead, he’s often out of position, sits too low in drop coverage, and foul troubles have prevented him from being aggressive in deterring shots.

It’s the defensive capability that makes Looney so valuable, and an element that Poeltl would also bring in spades. The two are similar in a lot of ways — defensively minded big men who don’t want for a plethora of touches offensively, but will know where to be and what to do in a way that limits the harm of their non-existent spacing.

At 7’1″, Poeltl’s extra length will makes his defense a little more eye-catching with an increased number of blocks. Between he and Looney, the Warriors center rotation would be set in stone with a consistent duo.

The 27 year-old Poeltl is ready to contribute 25 minutes a game to a playoff team. Sure, Wiseman may have the higher upside, but there’s no guarantee he fulfills that, and his playoff playability seems too far away for the Warriors to rely upon.