The Golden State Warriors are slated to be one of the most interesting teams at the NBA trade deadline. Armed with young talent such as James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody, it will be interesting to see if a team long dedicated to building internally will consider moving homegrown players for an outside piece.
With the luxury tax bill climbing higher and higher for Warriors owner Joe Lacob, the idea of moving on from someone like James Wiseman would feel much more palatable than if money wasn't involved. But the figures being thrown around on how much Golden State can save if they do move on from him are too eye-popping to ignore. According to The Athletic's John Hollinger, the potential savings the Warriors would pocket could add up to over nine figures:
“…even small bits of window dressing could save eye-popping amounts of money after accounting for the tax penalty and the Warriors’ repeater status. That, in turn, focuses attention on James Wiseman. He’s owed $9.6 million this year and $12.2 million next year, meaning that San Antonio, Detroit, Utah or Indiana could trade for him without sending anything back. Such a transaction would save the Warriors about $51 million in salary and tax this year and an estimated $85 million in salary and tax next year; a total of $131 million in savings to dump a guy who rarely plays.”
That's a lot of cheddar, even for one of the NBA's most successful franchises. It's tough to give up on a project like James Wiseman when he cost such a high draft pick for the Warriors. They've rarely been a team that's had to face the music for developing players over the past decade.
But with the money involved and the need for immediate upgrades in what's been a shaky season, the writing may be on the wall for the big man.
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