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The Golden State Warriors may have the NBA‘s best record, an MVP candidate in Steph Curry and Klay Thompson nearing a return to the court, but that hasn’t precluded the club from being mentioned in trade chatter. Some would even say that bringing in a high-level, veteran big man may be the difference in winning a title or not.
With Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis being namechecked as potential targets (Hey-yo, Indy!), many are pointing to former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman as a trade candidate. And while the young big man raised eyebrows as a rookie, it makes sense that the Warriors would shop him if they’re looking to shore up the center spot.
However, not everyone is on-board with Golden State offering up Wiseman, who has franchise player potential.
In a piece that aimed to identify the one player on each team that should be shopped ahead of the trade deadline, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz mentioned another talented, young player as the one who ought to be made available.
B/R: Warriors Should Be Shopping Moses Moody
According to Swartz, the Warriors likely want to see what Wiseman has to offer upon his return from injury before they consider moving him, citing his “poor play as a rookie.” Of course, some would quibble with that assessment of the big man’s first year.
Yes, he was a net negative on the court, but he still put up 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season and showed flashes of the game that had some picking him to be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft. In any case, it makes sense that Golden State would want to see him on the court again.
So, instead, he went with Moses Moody as the player the Warriors should shop.
Like Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga, Moody is one of the better prospects across the Association. During a December 8 G League appearance with the Santa Cruz Warriors, he notched 37 points, 10 boards and five steals. However, his path to getting playing time with the Warriors remains significantly more problematic than the aforementioned.
Wrote Swartz:
Jonathan Kuminga is versatile enough to fill multiple roles and should continue to be developed, as his raw talent alone could turn him into an All-Star one day.
This leaves Moody as the best young Warrior to potentially become trade bait, as he also faces the toughest road to meaningful playing time.
With Jordan Poole thriving in a starting role and Klay Thompson set to return soon, Moody may not see the court for a while. Golden State should float his name out and see what veterans they could get in return.
At the least, it’s food for thought.
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Warriors Issue an Official Update on Klay
In the wake of reports that Thompson had been ruled out from returning to action until December 28 at the earliest, the Warriors issued an official update on the five-time All-Star on Friday. However, it didn’t exactly provide much clarity with regards to an actual return date.
Via Warriors PR:
Klay Thompson completed a successful rehab assignment Wednesday with Santa Cruz. Thompson’s recovery timeline remains on-schedule.
Final stages of his preparation for return-to-play will be conducted with the Warriors. His return date will be announced when finalized and available.
In other words, he still looks good and we’re nearing the end of this thing, but there’s no date yet. Carry on.
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