Following Klay Thompson’s rehab, the healthy recovery and return of James Wiseman for his sophomore season should rank high atop the Golden State Warriors’ offseason priorities.
In his first season in the Bay Area, the 2020 No. 2 overall pick averaged 11.5 points on 51.9% shooting from the field with 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. Wiseman played in 39 games before missing the close of his rookie season with a knee injury.
Despite an up and down debut season, Wiseman still possesses elite potential at only 20-years-old. Yet, if the Warriors look to add a player over the offseason in the trade market, the Memphis product could be an intriguing piece for interested teams.
On Monday, Warriors general manager Bob Myers addressed the future of Wiseman, shooting down any potential trade chatter. Myers said the Warriors don’t want to trade Wiseman, saying he thinks the young center can be helpful for the Warriors’ future and present.
I think he can help us. I expect him to be on the team next year. We don’t want to trade James Wiseman. I think he is a tremendous talent. He was put in a position where the guy has, hopefully, taken all of his lumps early in his career. I think he can be very helpful to us in the future and I think he can be helpful in the present. We plan on him being on the team. We are very confident he is going to be a good player and help us win next year.
Listen to Myers’ full press conference from Monday via Warriors SoundCloud.
After notching a trio of double-doubles as a rookie, playing alongside Steph Curry and a healthy edition of Thompson could accelerate Wiseman’s development. While patience will be crucial with Wiseman, his development will play a role in the Warriors’ potential to climb into the race at the top of the Western Conference.
[lawrence-related id=37353,37364,37351]