Getty/Justin Ford James Wiseman of the Golden State Warriors is all smiles before a game against the Memphis Grizzles at FedExForum in Memphis.
James Wiseman of the Golden State Warriors just couldn’t catch a break during his sophomore year. After suffering a meniscus tear in his right knee on April 11, 2021, he has yet to play in the NBA, and is now expected to out for the rest of this season.
Initially expected to join the team during training camp of the 2021-22 season, his return was delayed and his knee did not respond well during his rehab. He had a second surgery in mid-December, and rehabbed with the Warriors and G-League affiliate in early March hoping for a late season return. However, after playing three games with the Santa Cruz Warriors, swelling around the surgically returned knee returned and he was shut down for the rest of the season.
This presents a quandary for the Warriors. One reason the team decided not to make a run to add additional help for the centers was because most of the brass thought Wiseman would return before the end of season.
Without Wiseman, the Dubs will have to rely on a trio of big men under seven foot to eat up center minutes: Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, and Nemanja Bjelica. As the regular season has already shown, the Warriors will have to figure out how to deal with opposing bigs like Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert come playoff time.
Regardless of how far the Warriors get this season in the playoffs, speculation and focus will turn to Wiseman as we head into next season. The former second overall pick had an unfortunate sophomore campaign with the injury, but much will be discussed if he can stay health long term.
Rival Exec Envisions Warriors Trading James Wiseman for $80 Million Big Man
The Warriors have not shown any signs that they would be looking to move on from the young big man, but opinions and sentiments change pretty quickly in the NBA. One Eastern Conference executive tells Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney about a potential trade that may bolster the Warriors roster for the short term.
“The problem for the Warriors is you would have to give up (James) Wiseman. You would not do a pick in that case, and you might need a third team to make things work, but if they come up short this year, if they are a surprise team knocked out in the first round, there is going to be pressure to get veteran help now. And a deal built around Wiseman for Turner is probably the cleanest way for them to get something done.”
Turner is due $17.5 million next season alone, so a lot will depend on what other parts can be included if Wiseman is to be swapped for the Indiana big man. Turner’s presence will give the Dubs the center they have lacked for years, and his elite shot blocking ability will alleviate pressure on Green to defend against other bigs.
Myles Turner Presents His Own Injury History
Turner does come with some concerns. Over his seven-year career, he has had a litany of injuries he’s had to deal with. His current foot fracture that has sidelined him for the rest of the season does present long-term concerns over Turner’s career.
“He is obviously a risk now, I think any time you get a big man who has a foot problem, a stress fracture kind of thing, those can be recurring,” the executive tells Heavy.com. “You can come back but they take you down a notch. You think of Yao Ming or Zydrunas Ilgauskas, worst-case scenarios. So they can put him back on the market for a trade but you’re talking about a reduced price. If you can get the salaries to match, then you add a first-round pick, it can be late first, it can be protected. But if you’re willing to give up a pick, the Pacers would have to take that.”
This return does not sound too much for someone who won the block title two seasons in his career. However, that comes with the territory for big men. Once they have stress fractures, the track record has shown that they usually never return back to peak performance like they did before their foot injuries.