Getty Jarred Vanderbilt dives for a loose ball during a game between the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets.
When the Golden State Warriors made the move to sign veteran JaMychal Green over the summer, there was a belief that he could provide some of the things that were lost when Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica left. However, the 32-year-old big man hasn’t been quite what the team has needed.
Over 28 appearances, Green is averaging 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game and his field goal percentage is up over 50% for the first time since 2016-17. At the same time, his longball has never recovered after dipping below 27% last season and the Dubs have been outscored by 5.8 points per 100 possessions when he has been on the floor.
As if that wasn’t a big enough problem, Green, Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman have been out recently with injuries, leaving Draymond Green and Kevon Looney to shoulder the load up front.
In an effort to give them some relief while bolstering the team’s roster for the playoff run, we’re floating a trade with the Utah Jazz netting one of the more athletic and defensively capable bigs in the NBA.
Suggested Trade Sees Jarred Vanderbilt Trade in Jazz Duds for Warriors Gold & Blue
This Jarred Vanderbilt behind the back pass to Lauri Markkanen 👀
(via @NBA)
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole reported earlier this week that the Dubs are exploring their options on the trade market, writing: “Though nothing is said to be imminent – the front office is more concerned with getting Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins back to speed – there is a desire to add size…”
And while he’s not the big seven-footer that many among Dub Nation desire, the Utah Jazz’s Jarred Vanderbilt definitely checks some boxes. With that in mind, we’re proposing the following swap:
- Golden State Warriors receive F Jarred Vanderbilt
- Utah Jazz receive C James Wiseman
The Warriors have had their struggles on both sides of the ball this season, but their 21st-ranked defense — which is coughing up 113.1 points/100 possessions — is probably the biggest concern. Enter Vanderbilt, who has made a name for disrupting opposing offenses with his freelancing style.
Meanwhile, he’s also developing the passing chops on the other end that Steve Kerr’s system requires of its big men; Vanderbilt has logged four games of five or more assists in the last month.
For the year, he’s averaging 8.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest. And at 23 years old, he still has room left to grow, too. That could help soften the blow of punting on Wiseman, who may or may not ever develop into a winning contributor (something that Vanderbilt already is).
Why the Jazz Do the Deal
Entering the 2022-23 season, the conventional wisdom was that the Jazz would be looking to accumulate as many ping-pong balls as possible for the draft lottery. However, the team proved to be better than anyone expected, and rookie coach Will Hardy has prioritized building a winning culture.
That said, with Utah’s record sitting below the .500 mark at midseason, the time may have come to resume making moves for the future.
By removing Vanderbilt from the equation, the Jazz would inevitably improve their lottery chances (to some degree, anyway). Meanwhile, Wiseman probably still has higher upside than Vanderbilt. Less than a month ago, the former No. 2 overall pick dropped a 30-piece on the Brooklyn Nets.