It’s perhaps the largest question for the Golden State Warriors this offseason: should the team trade it’s No. 1 pick from the 2020 NBA Draft, center James Wiseman?
That’s because with superstar Stephen Curry having an MVP-type campaign this year, the rush is on to surround him with a more mature roster next season. It’s clear to some that Wiseman doesn’t fit that bill and Golden State would be better off trading him for a veteran star.
But Warriors general manager Bob Myers made it clear during his postseason press conference — the franchise “doesn’t want to trade James Wiseman.”
Though that statement isn’t an iron-clad guarantee the Warriors won’t trade Wiseman, the 20-year-old told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that Myers’ presser added to his confidence.
“For Bob to clarify that he wasn’t going to trade me, it gave me a lot of confidence within myself,” Wiseman said. “I’ve been having confidence in myself; I know what I’m capable of. And they had to tell me about that, because it drives me. It fuels me to keep going and work even harder.”
It’s crucial for Wiseman to have motivation to work hard this offseason, since he’ll be rehabbing from a torn meniscus in his knee for much of it. So this is a fantastic sign for Golden State, albeit among some less-than-desirable circumstances.
Myers left the door open for a potential trade, however. He said the team doesn’t “want” to trade Wiseman, but that doesn’t mean that if the right trade offer appeared Myers wouldn’t act on it.
Regardless, it appears at least likely that Wiseman will stick around. So while he is, the Warriors may as well keep the young man’s confidence high. That’s in Golden State’s interest, whether it trades him or not. Wiseman is a valuable chip, and for him to keep his value, he has to work though a difficult offseason filled with rehab sessions, not on-court sessions.
(Photo credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports)
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