UPDATE: The Warriors shipped the five second-round picks and Kevin Knox to the Portland Trail Blazers for Gary Payton II shortly after this story was published.
ORIGINAL STORY: In the final stages before the 12 p.m. PT the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, big man James Wiseman reportedly was shipped away in a three-team deal involving the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Warriors traded away Wiseman to the Pistons for wing Saddiq Bey and forward Kevin Knox, but then flipped Bey to the Hawks for five second-round draft picks. Woj reported that still Knox could likely be traded away from the Warriors.
The 21-year-old Wiseman is a former No. 2 overall pick and possesses physical tools that you can’t teach, as the 7-footer remains a springy and rangy athlete. His third season with the Warriors hasn’t gone as planned, as he played in the first 10 games of the year before losing his rotation spot, getting sent to the G League and then suffering an ankle sprain that kept him out for weeks.
While Wiseman is a favorite of Warriors owner Joe Lacob, he has never gained his footing since the team drafted him in 2020. Wiseman has played in 21 of Golden State’s 55 games this season, averaging 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 12.5 minutes per contest.
Most assumed that the Warriors would trade Wiseman in a win-now move, but clearly they're looking toward the future.
For a rebuilding team like the Pistons, Wiseman would likely slot in for a lot of playing time. He is due to make $9.3 million this season and $12.1 next season, but for the Warriors that could equate to $131 million after luxury taxes, per a recent report by The Athletic’s John Hollinger. At this point, it seems like Wiseman's trade was merely a salary dump. This also gives the talented big man a chance to start fresh, as he was buried on Golden State's depth chart.
Bey, 23, is in the midst of his third NBA season, averaging 14.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. His shooting percentages from the floor (40.4 percent) and 3-point land (34.5) aren’t great, but Bey is known for his work ethic. He has shown flashes throughout his young career but struggled to stay consistent. Listed at 6-foot-7, Bey isn’t an elite defender but he can guard multiple positions, and the Warriors love to have switching lineups if possible.
Perhaps most importantly, Bey is due to make $2.9 million this season and $4.6 million next season in the final year of his rookie deal, which seems like it would appeal for the Warriors if they're trying to win now. Instead, they're going to take five second-round picks and Knox, who seems like a throw-in.
