The Golden State Warriors held onto their young big man at the trade deadline, and now the team appears committed to him for the immediate future as well.
There had been much speculation about the future of rookie center James Wiseman in Golden State, with persistent rumors that he could be on the trade block and questions about whether the team was committed to developing him over the long-term. But general manager Bob Myers addressed Wiseman’s future this week, putting to rest some of the rumors that he could be headed out.
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Wiseman’s Future in Golden State
For weeks leading up to the trade deadline, there had been speculation that the Warriors could use Wiseman in a trade that would leverage some of the team’s long-term success for the chance to chase a title in a more immediate time frame. The Warriors are looking to quickly jump back into contention with the expected return of Klay Thompson next season, and some insiders had questioned whether it was worth putting in the years it may take to bring Wiseman along when they could instead trade him for ap layer with an immediate impact.
Trade James Wiseman? Not such a good idea for the Warriors’ plans to contend, says @Bruce_Jenkins1:
Myers quashed those rumors, saying this week that the No. 2 overall pick will be back next season. As Cody Taylor of USA Today’s Rookie Wire noted, Wiseman had an up-and-down season that included a stretch missed when he tested positive for COVID-19 and a season cut short by injury, but Myers remained committed to him.
I think he can help us. I expect him to be on the team next year. We don’t want to trade James Wiseman. I think he is a tremendous talent. He was put in a position where the guy has, hopefully, taken all of his lumps early in his career. I think he can be very helpful to us in the future and I think he can be helpful in the present. We plan on him being on the team. We are very confident he is going to be a good player and help us win next year.
Warriors Roster May See Changes
While Myers made it clear that Wiseman will be returning, there are still unanswered questions about Golden State’s roster going into the next season. The team took a quiet approach at the trade deadline, holding onto wing Kelly Oubre Jr. despite speculation that he was a trade target for other teams.
The Warriors reportedly turned down a trade offer from the Brooklyn Nets that would have sent injured guard Spencer Dinwiddie in exchange for Oubre. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne noted that the Warriors saw Oubre as a strong piece for a potential playoff run, despite his expiring contract, though Oubre ended up missing the end of the season with a wrist injury and couldn’t help the team get out of the new play-in tournament.
Oubre said during the season that he would welcome a return to Golden State on a new contract, but was remaining focused on the task ahead of him.
Kelly Oubre told Bob Myers he’d like to return to the Warriors, but the pending free agent’s future remains unclear
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“I would love that,” Oubre said of the idea of returning next season. “At the end of the day, this is a business. We got through one step. Next step is giving my all to this team so we can reach our goals this season and this summer is another step. So I’m kinda in the moment right now. And I’m here. I’m a Warrior.
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Warriors GM Gives Definitive Answer on James Wiseman’s Future