NBA
Golden State Is Willing To Trade Two Former Lottery Picks To Upgrade The Roster With Win Now Talent
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated08 Feb 2023
Injuries and inconsistency have been two of the biggest factors in the Warriors 2022-23 season so far. Their superstar Steph Curry is now dealing with his second extended injury of the season and he’s going to miss the all-star game. With the trade deadline less than two days away, reports say the Warriors may be interested in trading away two former lottery picks in exchange for win now talent.
The two lottery picks that the Warriors have interest in moving for the right deal are Moses Moody and James Wiseman. Both have just not fit in with Golden State in one way or another and could look to find a new home that values what they bring to the table.
Currently, California Sports Betting sites have the Warriors at (+1200) to win the Finals this season.
The Warriors could save $131M if they trade James Wiseman 🤯, per @johnhollinger pic.twitter.com/56cZUimSOM
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 8, 2023
What does the future hold for Moses Moody and James Wiseman before the trade deadline?
Moody may be a player that the Warriors hold on to as Curry is going to be out for an extended period of time. However, James Wiseman is the name to watch for the Warriors as they can save $131 million if they trade him. The Warriors would not have to receive anything in return either. Just find a new home for him.
He’s owed $9.6 million this year and $12.2 next season but the Warriors would be saving a lot of that money due to taxes. They paid an NBA record $170 million luxury tax last season which did lead to another NBA title. Those type of hefty luxury taxes may not be something the team will be planning to pay every season.
Another reason the Warriors would want to get rid of Wiseman is simply because he’s fallen out of the rotation and has been sent to the G League as well this season. In only 21 games played with Golden State this season, he’s averaging (6.9) points and (3.5) rebounds per game.
TRADE RUMORS: The Athletic's @anthonyVslater is reporting that trade activity has picked up & the Warriors are open to moving younger, out-of-rotation players. The players who fit that mold are James Wiseman + Moses Moody. Not necessarily likely, but possible. #dubnation
— Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) February 7, 2023
This is only his second healthy season as a pro but his minutes per game are down compared to his rookie year. In 2020-21 Wiseman played (21.4) minutes per game and that has fallen to (12.5) minutes this season. Both head coach Steve Kerr and GM Bob Myers have said they felt sorry for Wiseman and the situation he was dealt.
Myers said that his situation is a “cutthroat deal” and you can’t blame the Warriors for wanting to move on. They used the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft to take Wiseman and it hasn’t played out well for either side.
