The Golden State Warriors did not go quietly into the night. Amid all the frenzy surrounding the NBA trade deadline, the Warriors took their stand and they too decided to join in on the fun. This came in the form of James Wiseman getting shipped off to the Detroit Pistons, while also securing a reunion with fan-favorite Gary Payton II from the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Dubs finally decided to pull the plug on the botched James Wiseman experiment. They traded him to the Pistons as part of a four-team deal which will now allow the former No. 2 overall pick to revive his career in Detroit. For his part, Warriors vet Draymond Green admitted that Wiseman has had a rough past few years, but at the same time, he's excited to see this young man flourish now that he's going to get a chance with the Pistons:
“Number one I want to say to James Wiseman, Jimmy Wise, not an ideal start to your NBA Career. I mean not ideal at all,” Green said in a recent episode of his podcast.
“Being moved to the Detroit Pistons gives James an opportunity to restart that and I think that's such a beautiful thing.
“I feel like in this trade James Wiseman gets what he needs and the Warriors got what they need.”
As Green said, this seems like a win-win situation for both Wiseman and the Warriors. The former Defensive Player of the Year acknowledged his now-former teammate's potential, and he hopes that he finally shines now that he's getting a clean slate:
“James Wiseman needs to go somewhere where he can play, where he can get minutes and reps and he's not expected to compete at a championship level,” he continued.
“He's super talented, super skilled, just haven't had the reps.”
Draymond then turned his attention to the return of Gary Payton II, who was also part of the Wiseman trade deal. Payton left the Warriors this past summer as a free agent, and it is clear that the Dubs wanted him back. Green himself was pumped by GPII's return:
“I'm excited about this move. Number one we have struggled with defense, we've really struggled on the defensive end,” Green said.
“Bringing GP back we all know what GP's capable of on the defensive end, can plug GP right in he knows the system like the back of his hand.”
The Warriors' trade deadline moves were far from landscape-shifting, and if you really think about it, they're going to enter the second half of the season with pretty much the same group. Be that as it may, Draymond Green is excited about what's to come from the defending champs, and I'm pretty sure Dub Nation feels the same way as well.
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