Golden State Warriors Rumors: Defending champs urged to trade James Wiseman for veteran player
The Golden State Warriors are slowly but surely finding their way after a terrible start to the season. They have been linked to a potential deal before the February 9 deadline to improve their roster. As per the latest rumors, the defending champions could trade James Wiseman for a veteran player.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report named Wiseman as the player the Warriors need to trade this year. Bailey reckons the former No. 2 pick's value is not high at the moment, but there will be teams that might be interested in a young 7' 0" big man.
Bailey opined that if Golden State receives an offer for Wiseman in exchange for a veteran player, they should consider it. Steph Curry's prime and championship window would only matters if the Warriors find players who can contribute now, as their young players haven't panned out.
James Wiseman is not having a great season for the Golden State Warriors. Wiseman has divided his time this season between the NBA and the G League. He has played in just 19 games, averaging 6.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in just 12.7 minutes.
Wiseman was still getting inconsistent minutes since coming back from a month-long stint in the G League. However, he had the best game of his career in the Warriors' 143-113 blowout loss to the Brooklyn Nets on December 21. He finished with 30 points, six rebounds and two assists.
Some of the veteran players linked with Golden State are Jae Crowder, Myles Turner, Saddiq Bey and Jakob Poeltl. The Warriors are reportedly looking to add more depth and defense to successfully defend their championship.
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James Wiseman suffers ankle injury in Golden State Warriors practice
James Wiseman just couldn't catch a break. The Golden State Warriors big man started playing again for seven straight games but suffered an ankle injury towards the end of 2022.
Wiseman was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain and was ruled out of last Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters that the injury happened during a 3-on-3 game during practice.
"It's just unfortunate," Steve Kerr said. "It's fairly common for guys who get limited minutes to get extra work in the morning after shootaround. He just rolled it; it doesn't seem too serious, but he'll miss tonight's game."
Wiseman missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season as he recovered from knee surgery. He still won a championship ring with the Warriors last season, and there were a lot of expectations heading into this campaign.
However, Wiseman has failed to make any impact on the court that led to his stint in the G League. With the trade deadline fast approaching, it won't be surprising to see him get dealt with for a veteran player.
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