The Golden State Warriors decision to trade Trayce Jackson-Davis before February's deadline is looking smarter by the day, particularly after their latest signing, Charles Bassey, delivered a stunning performance in Tuesday night's victory over the Sacramento Kings.
In just his second game for the Warriors after signing a 10-day contract on Sunday, Bassey had 14 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals to help his new team to an otherwise unconvincing 110-105 victory.
Trayce Jackson-Davis trade looks smarter after signing Charles Bassey
Golden State's decision to move on from Jackson-Davis wasn't surprising after they acquired veteran big man Kristaps Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks, but injuries to he, Al Horford and Quinten Post have left the team short-handed with their center rotation.
Signing Omer Yurtseven to a pair of 10-day contracts didn't quite work out for the Warriors, but Bassey's made an instant impact that suggests the franchise may have actually upgraded when it comes to an an athletic, interior big man.
Bassey had 14 points and 12 rebounds in his second game as a Golden State player. For context, Jackson-Davis had only one game with at least 14 points and 12 rebounds in his entire 175-game (inlcuding playoffs) career at the franchise.
Jackson-Davis was/is athletic, but he's only 6'9" and quite frankly had poor finishing around the rim for a center. Bassey is simply bigger, making him more of a presence in the paint. He combined a few dunks with some touch on finishes from a couple feet, while also making a layup with his off-hand -- aspects we rarely if ever saw from Jackson-Davis.
Sure, it was only against the lowly Kings, but Bassey also impressed in his limited minutes on debut against the Houston Rockets omn Sunday, and surely deserves more rotation opportunity as the season comes to a close.
Warriors got an upgrade with Charles Bassey
Bassey might not only be better than Jackson-Davis right now, but he's also nearly a year younger and has played over 1000 less minutes in the NBA, suggesting far more room for growth and improvement.
Just to top things off, Golden State managed to generate a second-round pick for Jackson-Davis who's averaging just five minutes in 16 games with the Toronto Raptors since the trade. Given their success with second-round picks in recent years, that could still wind up as another rotation player in the future.
While some of their bigger moves (or lack thereof) may have been questioned in recent years, the Warriors continue to make smart moves on the edges of the roster and this is now another that could have a serious impact. The next question becomes whether they can secure Bassey on a deal for next season?