It’s not a secret that the Golden State Warriors haven’t been the same dominant team this season as they used to be in the past. They need to find answers right now as the NBA’s trade deadline zooms in.
For months, there’s been speculation regarding the Warriors’ desire to keep prized rookie James Wiseman past the deadline. He’s kind of struggled during his rookie season but flashes unlimited upside as a two-way big man.
And now that they continue to slide in the standings and they’re exploring some of the available talents, it seems like they would have to, at least; consider moving him if they’re serious about landing Houston Rockets’Victor Oladipo.
NBA Rumors: Houston Rockets Want James Wiseman Or A Top Pick For Victor Oladipo
“The Rockets would want one of the Warriors’ top assets, the 2021 pick from Minnesota or [James] Wiseman, both of which are conversation-enders for Golden State,”said Connor Letourneau of NBC Sports.
Oladipo was one of the best two-way players in the league two seasons ago but he’s struggled with multiple injuries. Also, he’s on an expiring contract and they wouldn’t want to trade away a high pick or James Wiseman just to watch him walk away.
Then again, the clock continues to tick and the Warriors are aware that they need to make some moves if they don’t want to miss the playoffs again this season. That means they may have to cave into Houston’s demands.
Thus far, the rookie out of Memphis is averaging 11.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game on 52% shooting and 36.7% from three. The future is clearly bright for him and he’s shown glimpses of great playmaking, but he’s quite raw and maybe the Warriors can’t afford to wait and develop him as their core continues to age.