Getty A photo of the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.
The talk of the weekend surrounding the Golden State Warriors, was the four-team trade that sent James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons. The former No. 2 overall pick never quite found his footing in three seasons with the Warriors, and the team decided to move on from him.
Former Warriors center Andrew Bogut, who won a title with the team back in 2015, weighed in on the big move. He shared his thoughts on Wiseman and his fit with Golden State, during a February 9 appearance on 95.7 The Game’s Steiny and Guru.
“I’d assume there’s some frustration from Wiseman and his camp, with his role and the way he’s been playing or utilized. I’ve said from the start I don’t think Wiseman was a great fit. I wouldn’t say he’s a bust just yet based on the seasons he’s had with the Warriors because playing that five spot with the Warriors, it’s unique, it’s different. You’ve got to know the game, you’ve got to read the game, you’ve got to read spacing, you’ve got to have a decent IQ. He’s still young and developing. His skill set wasn’t suited towards that. Now that he’s going to Detroit, he’s going to get some touches and maybe they’ll allow him to play through 10 or 15 touches in the post, make or miss, and let him play through those mistakes. I think then we’ll see what he is as a player. I think it was the right move for Wiseman’s career. I think the Warriors were good enough to let him move on and get along with life.”
.@andrewbogut on James Wiseman’s time with the Warriors.
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Draymond Green Shares Thoughts on James Wiseman Trade
Bogut wasn’t the only member of that 2015 championship team, who discussed the Wiseman deal. Forward Draymond Green, who of course is still with the Dubs, talked about the move on the February 9 edition of his podcast, The Draymond Green Show.
“Number one, I want to say, to James Wiseman, man, Jimmy Wise, not an ideal start to your NBA career,” Green said. “I mean, not ideal at all. Being moved to the Detroit Pistons gives James an opportunity to restart that. And I think that’s such a beautiful thing. I feel like in this trade, James Wiseman gets what he needs, the Warriors got what they need. James Wiseman needs to go somewhere where he can play, where he can get minutes and reps, and he’s not expected to compete at a championship level. And he did that. Or, they did that – it’s happening for him in going to Detroit, where you’re with a bunch of other young guys who [are] going to make a ton of mistakes. And you just get to play through those mistakes and learn through those mistakes, because as we know, in life, experience is life’s greatest teacher. So for James Wiseman to go to a situation where he will have the opportunity to play and play through mistakes. It’s great for him, because he’s super talented, super skilled, but just [hasn’t] had the reps.”
Warriors Finally Finalize Wiseman, Gary Payton II Trade
Wiseman’s exit was only half the reason that the trade was such a big talking point over the weekend. The real attention-grabber was the fact that Gary Payton II, who Golden State reacquired in the deal from the Portland Trailblazers, had failed his physical.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported that that information was withheld from the Warriors, while the negotiations were ongoing.
“Payton, according to sources, had been playing through pain in Portland,” Slater wrote. “Sources added that the Blazers training staff had been pushing him to gut through it, giving him Toradol shots. This had not been relayed to the Warriors during the negotiation process.”
The Warriors wound up seeing the deal through on Sunday night. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnorowski was first to break the news, reporting that the players would be cleared to play for their new teams starting February 13.
“The four-team trade involving Golden State, Portland, Atlanta and Detroit has been completed, sources tell ESPN. Players are cleared to start playing for new teams on Monday,” Wojnarowski tweeted.