Getty Gary Trent Jr. of the Toronto Raptors, who was linked to the Golden State Warriors.
It’s been a rocky road for the Golden State Warriors to start the season. They are currently sitting at 12th in the Western Conference with a 6-9 record on the season, including going 0-8 on the road.
And while it seems as though they are content weathering the storm and pushing through, if nothing changes, they could look toward the trade market. Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports suggested that they target Gary Trent Jr. of the Toronto Raptors, among others.
“The Warriors also could look to move [James] Wiseman for general depth, which is a need for a team that ranks last in the NBA in bench net rating (minus-7.2),” Deveney wrote. “The likes of Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr., Utah’s Malik Beasley or Memphis’ Dillon Brooks would be ideal, though the Warriors might have to give up too much (some combination of Donte DiVincenzo, Jonathan Kuminga and/or Moses Moody) to make salaries match for a deal to work.”
Wiseman was recently sent down to the G League, and his subpar performances have some throwing around trade ideas. The Raptors likely wouldn’t part ways with Trent easily, but a package of young assets and picks could entice them.
So far this season, Trent has appeared in 14 of the Raptors’ 16 games, playing 32.0 minutes per contest. He is averaging 16.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 41.5% shooting from the field and 32.6% shooting from distance.
Potential Trent-Warriors Trade Proposal
The framework of a deal would look something like what Deveney proposed – Wiseman and other young assets in exchange for Trent. Here’s an outline of a potential trade that could work for both parties:
Warriors receive: Trent Jr.
Raptors receive: Wiseman, Kuminga, DiVincenzo, 2028 2nd-Round Pick
For the Warriors, this deal would be all about adding an elite bench piece. Trent would immediately step in and form a top-notch backcourt pairing off the bench alongside Poole. Plus, at only 23 years old, he would help maintain a young core in Golden State.
As for the Raptors, this trade could actually help them improve moving forward. They don’t have a ton of center options, so taking a chance on the former second-overall pick would be a worthwhile investment. Meanwhile, DiVincenzo could help mitigate the loss of Trent in their guard rotation.
But the real prize for Toronto in this trade would be Kuminga. They have been stockpiling wings for a long time, and since the Warriors have been hesitant to give Kuminga consistent playing time, giving him up wouldn’t be too big of a deal.
Nick Nurse and the Raptors could give Kuminga a real chance to thrive, similar to how they handled Precious Achiuwa’s development. The former top-10 pick would undoubtedly take full advantage of that.
Wiseman Looks ‘In Over His Head’
Making a trade this early in the season would seem like a drastic move, but according to a source who spoke with Deveney, Wiseman has looked “in over his head” so far this year.
“He has looked [like he’s] in over his head,” one Western Conference coach told Heavy Sports. “You can’t have him on the floor with Draymond [Green] because they get real easy to guard with them together. And you can’t have him out there with a big role with the second unit because he is not good enough to carry that group. What do you do with him? I don’t think they know, so he is going to be down there (in the G League) because at least you know he will be on the floor.”
Trading Wiseman and two other bench pieces for a serious upgrade could be worth it if the Warriors want to put Stephen Curry in the best possible position to win a title this year.
