Getty James Wiseman handles the ball during a 2021 bout between the Golden State Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Entering the Golden State Warriors‘ Wednesday bout with the Utah Jazz, two people could take long, hard looks at where the Dubs are headed and come to polar opposite conclusions. On the one hand, the team has won 10 of its last 15 games and Stephen Curry is playing as well as he ever has.
On the other, it’s only one game over .500 and has major questions to answer on the bench and with its youth movement. One also has to wonder whether Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole can consistently perform on a level close to what fans were expecting from them this season.
This much is certain — the defending champion Warriors aren’t about to steamroll the competition as they did in the salad days of their dynasty. If they want to ensure a return trip to the NBA Finals, the roster could probably benefit from a tweak or two.
Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley just suggested such a move; one that would see team president Bob Myers dangle two of Golden State’s prospects to lure a legit win-now big man for the second unit.
B/R Pitches Wiseman-Olynyk Swap
A HUGE congratulations to @KellyOlynyk whose @ZagMBB jersey was raised to the rafters at McCarthey Athletic Center tonight, an honor given to only three other @GonzagaU men’s basketball players: Frank Burgess, Adam Morrison and John Stockton.
For his latest batch of pre-trade-deadline musings, Buckley floated trades for NBA “buyers and sellers.” Where the Dubs were concerned, the agenda was clearly to find a win-now piece to boost the bench and make good on one of Steph Curry’s last bites at the championship apple.
To that end, he pitched the following trade turning a pair of up-and-comers into a versatile, rangy big to aid in the title pursuit for the next year or two:
- Golden State Warriors receive F/C Kelly Olynyk
- Utah Jazz receive C James Wiseman and G Ryan Rollins
Wrote Buckley:
[Olynyk’s] steady shooting, slick passing and sky-high basketball IQ would make him a seamless fit in this offense. He has played above his head so far, but even when regression comes for the 31-year-old, he’d have plenty to give Golden State in a reserve role. The second unit has badly needed ball movement — which is why Draymond Green has been such an impactful addition to it — and you could argue that’s the strongest part of Olynyk’s arsenal.
Over 26 appearances for Utah this season, Olynyk has averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 46.6% from deep; a particularly impressive line for a fifth or sixth option offensively.
It was noted that he has some defensive issues, and that giving up on Wiseman would be tough. But if winning right now is the thing, there’s no doubt that Olynyk is miles ahead of Golden State’s blue-chipper.
Olynyk May Not Be as Available as Some Think
Buckley’s big premise with this and other recent Jazz-centric proposals is that the team should be tanking or, at the absolute least, worrying more about the future than the present. Clearly, he’s not buying into the team’s surprising start.
“Since starting the season on a 10-3 tear, the Jazz are 4-9 with the 20th-ranked net rating over that stretch (minus-1.4). Their roster is deep, but it lacks the high-end talent needed for postseason success. Their defense, which ranks 25th on the season, looms like a fatal flaw any worthwhile playoff opponent could exploit,” Buckley wrote.
It’s worth noting, though, that the rough stretch has directly coincided with Mike Conley’s injury, and the one-time All-Star looks to finally be nearing a return to the lineup. Moreover, with the Jazz having already notched 14 wins on the campaign, it’ll be hard for them to compete with the likes of the Spurs, Rockets, Magic, Pistons, et al. for ping pong balls.
Olynyk may be the most available of the Jazz’s veteran core, but a late second-round pick and a lotto guy who’s trending toward bust territory may not be what their looking for in a deal.