The Golden State Warriors could get a second chance at landing the versatile wing that they reportedly coveted prior to the 2020 NBA Draft.
Yahoo Sports writer Jake Fischer reported this week that the rebuilding Detroit Pistons are willing to listen to deals for forward Saddiq Bey. He could potentially find a home with the Warriors, who were high on the Villanova product when he was coming out of college.
Bey Could Hit Trade Block
As Fischer noted, the Pistons are nearing a key decision about their season after Cade Cunningham suffered what could be a season-ending injury. The Pistons are expected to move into “sell” mode as the trade deadline approaches, with veteran Bojan Bogdanovic likely headed to the block along with Bey.
As Fischer reported, the Pistons have already started taking calls on Bey.
“The Villanova product was recently demoted from the starting lineup before bouncing right back into Dwane Casey’s opening unit,” Fischer wrote. “Bey will become extension-eligible this summer and has had a noticeable drop in production. Detroit has taken early calls on Bey from inquiring teams, sources said, a change in behavior from recent trade windows. But it seems the Pistons are intent on further evaluating Bey before truly entertaining his trade market.”
Bey could be a good fit for a Warriors team seeking stability on their bench. The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson reported in May 2020 that the Warriors’ front office was high on Bey, who projected to be a good fit for their system.
Detroit has taken early calls on Saddiq Bey from inquiring teams, per @JakeLFischer
“It makes sense why they’d want Bey,” Thompson wrote at the time. “He is a 20-year-old, 6-foot-8, 216-pound forward who shot 45 percent from 3 this past season and is still expected to make his biggest impact on the defensive end. He sounds like a Warrior dream: a wing player with good size who can shoot it and play strong defense.”
But Bey was projected as a later pick, ultimately going at No. 19 to the Pistons. The Warriors held the No. 2 overall pick, and opted to take Memphis big man James Wiseman rather than trading down to where Bey would have been a more appropriate pick.
Warriors May Look for Help
Whether Bey becomes a target or not, some expect the Warriors to seek some kind of help to shore up their bench struggles. The team lost a number of key bench players last offseason — including Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. — and the young players expected to step up have fallen below expectations. Last year’s lottery picks, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, have not been able to stay in head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation, while Wiseman was sent down to the G League Santa Cruz Warriors for more seasoning.
The Warriors still have one open roster spot, but a Western Conference executive told Heavy Sports insider Sean Deveney that Golden State would ideally like to keep it open for the luxury tax relief it provides to keep an extra salary off the books. But if the bench continues to struggle, the Warriors may need to look into options for that final spot, the executive said.
“But is there someone who makes sense? Would LaMarcus Aldridge, for one, make them much better?” the executive said. “He’d probably be the ideal guy with his skillset and experience. A guy like P.J. Dozier or Stanley Johnson if they want a defensive wing. And point guards, there are point guards if they wanted to take a chance, a Kemba Walker in a pinch. There’s guys out there. They just have to figure out what their red line is for pulling the trigger on one of those guys.”
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Warriors Could Target 23-Year-Old Pistons Wing as He Hits Trade Block