NBA Trade Rumors: Golden State Warriors open to the idea of trading James Wiseman
The Golden State Warriors are the topic of the latest NBA trade rumors, with James Wiseman at the center of the discussion. According to a recent report from the San Francisco Chronicle's Connor Letourneau, Wiseman and possibly the Minnesota Timberwolves' 2021 first-round pick could be acquired by another team on one condition.
"Golden State knows that any discussion for an All-Star-caliber player will begin with the other team asking for one or both of the franchise’s two biggest assets outside of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green: the top-three-protected 2021 pick from Minnesota and rookie center James Wiseman," wrote Letourneau.
"But according to a team source, the Warriors 'almost definitely' wouldn’t surrender that Timberwolves selection or Wiseman unless they got back someone generational such as Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo."
Both Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo are out of reach for just about every team in the NBA right now as these two are virtually untradeable. Even if the Golden State Warriors dangled Wiseman and the Timberwolves’ 2021 pick and added a few incentives, it’s unlikely that their teams will return their calls.
Only a handful of players of this caliber would fit the Golden State Warriors’ asking price for their aforementioned assets. Because of this, a potential trade involving Wiseman and the Timberwolves pick will not come easy ahead of the NBA’s March 25 trade deadline.
James Wiseman is currently averaging 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game for the Golden State Warriors. The Timberwolves pick is top-three protected, making it quite an asset that the Warriors hope to cash-in on if they don’t trade it.
NBA Trade Rumors: Golden State Warriors not interested in short-term gains
The 19-18 Golden State Warriors are ninth in the Western Conference and are still within striking distance of a guaranteed playoff spot. But even if an assured postseason berth were on the line, it doesn’t mean that the Golden State Warriors are going to be desperate enough to surrender James Wiseman and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2021 pick.
Letourneau added to the NBA trade rumors by stating that the Warriors wouldn’t surrender either of these to acquire a player like the Houston Rockets’ Victor Oladipo who could help them win a playoff series or two.
"However, just because Golden State likes a multi-time All-Star who fits a win-now mindset doesn’t mean it is willing to mortgage its future to maybe win a postseason series," Letourneau wrote.
"As is always the case with potential trade scenarios, the Warriors would have to see what they’d need to give up for Oladipo. Parting with a package that would hurt their odds of staying relevant long-term would almost certainly be a conversation-ender."
The Golden State Warriors would need a player that could change their current and future fortunes in order for them to facilitate a parting of ways with their assets. James Wiseman has a chance to be a 20-10 player but his development will take time.
It’s not an impossibility, and the chances of the Golden State Warriors becoming relevant again in the Western Conference via a blockbuster trade is still quite probable.
Also Read: LeBron James takes to Twitter to praise first-time teammate Stephen Curry and 2021 NBA All-Star MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo