The Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets are two NBA franchises that have found themselves intertwined over the past few years or so. Stephen Curry has always said that if he were to play for another franchise besides the Warriors, he would only do so if it were the Hornets. But there may not have been a bigger event linking these two franchises than the 2020 NBA Draft, when the Warriors drafted James Wiseman with the second overall pick, leaving LaMelo Ball available for the Hornets at number three.
Suffice to say, the Warriors struck out big time by going with James Wiseman. Meanwhile, LaMelo Ball, despite his injury-marred third season, projects to be a dynamic offensive force at his peak, as evidenced by his 2022 All-Star selection.
The Warriors gave Wiseman every chance to develop, as he even started 27 games in his rookie campaign. However, an untimely knee injury cut Wiseman's rookie season short after only 39 games, hampering his development even further. He proceeded to miss the entirety of the 2021-22 season while rehabbing from a major injury.
There were plenty of hope that James Wiseman could be the piece that bridges the Warriors from one contending era to another as he returned from injury. However, his 2022-23 season ended up being one straight out of a nightmare. The 7'0 center looked lethargic, especially defensively, and his impact on the offensive end just hasn't been enough to earn him the good graces of head coach Steve Kerr.
Things got so bad for him that the Warriors chose to send him down to the G-League, and with the Warriors healthy, he just has not been able to reclaim his spot in the rotation. Simply put, something has to give. And in the process, why not involve the Hornets in this ordeal once more?
This is why a hypothetical trade between the Warriors and Hornets involving James Wiseman and Moses Moody for PJ Washington, Jalen McDaniels and Mason Plumlee, as proposed by Bobby Marks of ESPN, makes a ton of sense for both sides.
Why the hypothetical trade between the Warriors and Hornets makes sense
The Hornets, after two straight play-in berths, have had a 2022-23 campaign straight out of the depths of hell. Following LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, and Kelly Oubre Jr.'s bouts with injuries, along with the loss of last season's leading scorer in Miles Bridges due to controversy, the Hornets have scuffled to a 12-34 record, “good” for second-worst in the entire league.
This season definitely set their contending timeline back, as they're poised to nab a high draft pick in the upcoming Victor Wembanyama draft. Thus, it makes total sense for the Hornets to sell off some of their pieces as they load up for the future. And in the process, they could even nab a prospect as highly-touted as James Wiseman once was.
Among the Hornets' veterans, Mason Plumlee and Terry Rozier appear to be the likeliest to go, especially amid Hayward and Oubre's injuries. Plumlee, in particular, could be of help to teams in need of frontcourt reinforcement. The Warriors definitely fit the bill.
Golden State has expressed interest in trading for Jakob Poeltl, but his price remains sky high. Perhaps Plumlee could be a suitable backup plan, as the 32-year old center has underrated court vision as well, which could make him a seamless fit in the vaunted Warriors system.
Giving up PJ Washington and Jalen McDaniels, however, will surely be a point of contention for the Hornets brass. Both are only 24 years old, and they project to be solid role players that could help contending teams, which is why the Warriors should be all over this hypothetical deal.
Nonetheless, the Hornets could merely look at this season as a blip, and perhaps re-tool in the offseason to return to playoff contention as a result. Alas, it's unclear just how much the Hornets are willing to spend in the offseason to keep both Washington and McDaniels, as both will enter free agency looking for an eight-figure contract.
The Warriors too could run into the same problem, given their luxury tax issues at the moment. Still, with Stephen Curry still at the height of his powers, the Warriors ownership group appears willing to break the bank just to field a contending team. And it's looking more shrewd for the Warriors to pay up for both PJ Washington and Jalen McDaniels, both 3 and D players that fit exceptionally, rather than do so for James Wiseman.
Meanwhile, the Hornets will definitely be asking for more than Wiseman and Moses Moody in a hypothetical trade. They will also want future draft assets, since Wiseman's value is in the mud at the moment. However, Wiseman is only 21 years old. He could still develop into a quality player.
But the Warriors do not have the luxury of waiting. The Hornets do. Charlotte will be hard-pressed to find a young prospect with Wiseman's pedigree, and as a bonus, they could also give Moses Moody the opportunity to spread his wings, especially with Anthony Lamb having usurped him in the Warriors rotation.
This trade will not exactly be easy to pull off. The Warriors may still look to try developing Wiseman until the last second of his rookie contract. But if they were to pull off a trade, they'd be hard-pressed to find a deal that allows them to fill as many holes as this hypothetical trade with the Hornets.
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