Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook wants to be traded to a different NBA team, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
All-Star guard Russell Westbrook wants the Houston Rockets to trade him to another NBA team, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Per Charania, Westbrook “has a desire to return to his prior, floor-general role” with the Oklahoma City Thunder.” From the story:
Westbrook, who has three years and $123 million remaining on his deal, has expressed the sentiment to Houston officials, sources said. Westbrook has informed team officials that he has been uneasy about the team’s accountability and culture, and has a desire to return to his prior, floor-general role in Oklahoma City.
The news comes the same day as a separate ESPN report that Westbrook and fellow All-Star James Harden “have expressed concern about the direction of the franchise.” Both Westbrook and Harden are under contract for at least two more seasons, so the Rockets are not required to make a move, and Harden does not appear interested in a trade.
A nine-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 2017 MVP, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists during his first season in Houston, all on a career-best 47.2% shooting clip. Now, if Westbrook has his way, it seems his first year with the Rockets will also be his last.
Westbrook will make over $41 million next season, which would allow the Rockets to take back as much as $50 million (approximately) in salaries from another team as part of a trade package.
It’s been a turbulent offseason for the Rockets, with established GM Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni choosing to head elsewhere. They were replaced by Rafael Stone and Stephen Silas, respectively, with each lacking prior experience as the full-time guy in his new role.
Combine that instability at key leadership positions with the reality that Harden and Westbrook are now in their 30s and still seeking their first NBA title, and it’s quite understandable if they have concerns and a heightened sense of urgency. Westbrook turns 32 years old on Thursday.
The NBA is expected to lift its moratorium on offseason trades early next week, with 2020 free agency set to begin on Friday, Nov. 20.
Stick with Rockets Wire for more updates to this breaking story.
According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, both the Timberwolves and Warriors have explored trading their top picks for “‘All-NBA-level stars.”
It’s no secret the Golden State Warriors are in a unique position in the NBA draft. Unlike many teams that hold picks at the top of the draft, the Warriors are gearing up for a run at the playoffs — instead of a total rebuild.
If a prospect doesn’t fit Golden State’s plan to get back to the postseason, the Warriors could move the No. 2 overall selection for established NBA talent.
When it comes to the trade market, Zach Lowe of ESPN reported both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors have explored trading their top picks for an “All-NBA-level stars.”
Rarely have the No. 1 and 2 picks gone to teams in various win-now stages. Both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors have explored trading their picks for All-NBA-level stars, sources say, but no such deal appears (for now) likely to materialize.
According to Lowe, teams have shown “no interest” in trading players like Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Ben Simmons.
The Wizards have shown no interest in trading Beal for either pick, sources say. Ditto for Phoenix with Devin Booker and Philadelphia with Ben Simmons. Again: If Beal forces Washington’s hand, a package centered on the No. 1 pick is nothing to sneeze at. Players one tier down are probably not worth a top-two pick
If a trade doesn’t work, the Warriors will have the opportunity to land a top prospect like Memphis big man James Wiseman, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Deni Avdjia, Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton or Florida State’s Devin Vassell.
With the NBA draft two weeks away, the Warriors still have time to build a deal for a player with All-Star caliber talent. Golden State could add the 2021 first-round pick they acquired in the Wiggins-D’Angelo Russell deadline day trade to entice teams looking for a trade.
However, if the teams aren’t making players available, Kerr and Myers will need to get creative if they plan on building a trade package around their first-round pick.
“As of right now, it’s an emphatic no from the Rockets’ side,” Shams Charania said. “It’s really a non-starter for that organization.”
With former Houston GM Daryl Morey now employed in Philadelphia, it’s understandable for the 76ers to have hope that Morey might eventually get Rockets superstar James Harden to rejoin him on the East Coast.
But that time is unlikely to come in the 2020 offseason.
Per NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, Morey’s Sixers are expected to pursue Harden. However, any such transaction is “currently a non-starter” for the Rockets. Here’s what Charania said, via Stadium:
I’m told Philadelphia is expected to be interested in and pursue James Harden, the Rockets’ star who Daryl Morey has a history with. As will other teams.
As of right now, it’s an emphatic no from the Rockets’ side. It’s really a non-starter for that organization. Daryl Morey, though, has a history of being active on the trade market, and pursuing the different opportunities that may exist out there. I wouldn’t expect that to be any different, now that he’s in Philadelphia.
"I'm told Philadelphia is expected to be interested in and pursue James Harden"
Now 31 years old, Harden averaged 34.3 points, 7.5 assists, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game last season, and he joined Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the only players to ever lead the NBA in points and steals in the same season. With that scoring average, Harden became just the fourth player since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976 to win a scoring title in three straight years. (Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and George Gervin are the other three.) Harden is also just the third player in league history to average over 34 points per game in multiple seasons, joining a pair of Basketball Hall of Famers in Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
An eight-time NBA All-Star, Harden is the only NBA player to have been an MVP finalist and an All-NBA First Team member in each of the last four seasons. He won the league’s MVP award in 2018. As a result, the Rockets aren’t motivated to move one of the NBA’s best players.
Charania’s assessment of Harden’s market availability at the moment — or lack thereof — is similar to recent comments made by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who said last week that Houston has no interest in a potential swap involving Harden and 76ers guard Ben Simmons.
I’ve already been told with a few expletives included by somebody with the Rockets: ‘No, Daryl, James Harden for Ben Simmons is not happening. Don’t ask.’
Morey’s replacement as Rockets GM is Rafael Stone, who was previously the No. 2 executive in Houston’s basketball operations department.
On the surface, Harden-Simmons speculation is understandable. Should Houston ever want to rebuild and/or if Harden ever wanted to leave, the 24-year-old Simmons is seven years younger, and his salary ($29 million next season) is large enough to potentially make the math work on a trade. (Since both the Sixers and Rockets are above the salary cap, each team would have to send out close to as much money as it takes in.)
A two-time NBA All-Star, Simmons averaged 16.4 points (58.0% FG), 8.0 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game last season. But he’s certainly not at the level of Harden, the three-time defending NBA scoring champion and a perennial MVP finalist. It would also be hard for the Rockets to play a backcourt of Simmons and Russell Westbrook together, since both are dependent on driving to the basket and neither has the 3-point shooting to help space the floor for the other.
The only way the Rockets might be incentivized to consider a Simmons-Harden deal is if they feared Harden leaving for no compensation in free agency, and the soonest he could potentially do that is in 2022. (To this point, there have been no indications that he’s unhappy in Houston.)
Even if Harden did want out, though, there’s hardly any precedent for an NBA team trading an elite player of his stature who is under contract for multiple seasons moving forward. Those types of leveraged trades only tend to happen within about a year of the star’s potential free agency, as was the scenario with Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans in June 2019. In the case of Harden and the Rockets, a similar inflection point could be reached in the 2021 offseason, not in 2020.
Moreover, “tanking” isn’t a potential incentive for the Rockets in the 2020-21 season, since Oklahoma City has the right to swap first-round draft picks with them in 2021 from the Chris Paul-Westbrook trade. On the other hand, Houston has full control of its picks in 2022 and 2023, which could make a rebuild more realistic at that time (if Harden wants out).
As a result of those factors, Houston’s likely path for the 2020-21 season is to give it another go with their duo of recent MVPs, and perhaps surround Harden and Westbrook with additional talent acquired via trade and/or through the use of the Mid-Level Exception (MLE).
Speaking on a separate podcast of ESPN colleague Adrian Wojnarowski, MacMahon expressed a similar viewpoint. His comments:
What I can say is right now the Rockets are 100% committed to trying to cash in on James Harden’s prime. They consider him the best player in the league, which you know… He’s without question a perennial MVP candidate. That’s just a simple fact. They’re going to try to win a championship as long as he’s at that level and as long as he’s on board.
I think at this point it’s probably a year-to-year deal. If I’m speculating, I’m going to say that decision is more than likely made by James Harden instead of made by the Rockets. In other words, it could get to a point… And I don’t believe this is imminent. Again, I think it’s a year-to-year situation where at some point James Harden, who has tried repeatedly to pair with a superstar to give him a chance to a championship: first Dwight [Howard], then Chris Paul, and now with Russ. If James Harden wants to pair with another superstar, he’s probably going to have to be the one to pack his bags. Is that next offseason? Is that the offseason after that? We’ll see. Obviously a lot of that depends on what happens with the Rockets over these next one or two years.
Depending on what happens in the 2020-21 season, the Morey-Harden connection might eventually make a reunion in Philadelphia possible. After all, acquiring a young All-Star in Simmons who is under contract through the 2023-24 season is certainly a better scenario for the Rockets than losing Harden for no compensation in 2022 free agency.
But the soonest that would likely be realistic is the 2021 offseason. For now, it’s understandably not seen as an option from Houston’s end.
It’s hard to see what the appeal of the trade would be for Philadelphia, but the ESPN analyst attempted to explain it on Friday.
With longtime Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey headed to Philadelphia, it’s natural to consider trade possibilities involving his former team.
On Friday, ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose got in on the action. His latest suggestion, however, might appear to be too good to be true, from a Houston perspective. Here’s what he said:
If I’m Daryl Morey, I tried to find a way to parlay Joel Embiid for Russell Westbrook and/or P.J. Tucker. In Houston, they’re going to have to play more traditionally, so therefore you have James [Harden] with the ball on the perimeter, and you have Embiid as his big man. In the Eastern Conference, you have two guys in Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook that no one is ever going to stop from getting to the basket.
Both those guys have found ways to not be able to shoot jump shots and still basically flirt with triple-doubles, and Russell’s been an MVP of the league. You say ‘Well, that’s not Morey-ball.’ Morey-ball is actually also getting layups and dunks, and getting to the free-throw line. Those two guys do that, too.
For starters, let’s take the “or” out of Rose’s statement. Before even considering the basketball merits, Embiid will make nearly $30 million next season, whereas Tucker isn’t even at $8 million. With both the Sixers and Rockets above the league’s projected salary cap, each team has to send out close to as much money in trades as it takes in.
For the Rockets to take in Embiid, Westbrook’s salary (~$41 million) is much closer to a financial match.
But then there’s the basketball side. At just 26 years old, Embiid is already a three-time NBA All-Star. For his career, he averages 23.9 points (48.0% FG), 11.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game.
Westbrook, of course, is a nine-time All-Star and former MVP who averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists this past season. In Morey’s analytics-driven system with the Rockets, Westbrook shot a career-high clip of 47.2% from the field. That’s the good news.
The bad news, at least from the perspective of Rose’s hypothetical trade, is that Westbrook will turn 32 years old on Nov. 12. That makes him more than five years older than Embiid, and that’s before considering how each player’s game might age. In theory, a seven-foot center with post moves could have a friendlier aging curve than a guard who depends largely on athleticism — rather than 3-point shooting — for his excellence.
Jalen Rose suggests Sixers move Joel Embiid to Rockets for Russell Westbrook https://t.co/KKH8wAWs1X
Even though Morey seems to like Westbrook, it’s hard to envision giving up an All-Star center who is only 26 to get him. It’s also fair to wonder how Westbrook would fit next to Simmons, since both guards need space to attack the rim and neither is respected as a 3-point shooter.
By contrast, James Harden is nearly a year younger than Westbrook. He’s also a superior player and, at least on paper, a better bet to age more gracefully (thanks to his superior jump shot). It certainly wouldn’t be a shock if Morey broached that subject, even if it required moving Embiid. However, the Rockets have understandably shown no interest in trading their perennial MVP candidate, so that doesn’t seem to be an option.
Trades involving role players on the Sixers and Rockets — even high-profile ones like Tucker, Eric Gordon, and Al Horford — might be a possibility, assuming Morey still has affinity for his former players in Houston. However, it’s tough to see any trade fit in 2020 involving the four All-Stars of Westbrook, Harden, Embiid, and Simmons.
It’s hard to see what the appeal of the trade would be for Philadelphia, but the ESPN analyst attempted to explain it on Friday.
With longtime Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey headed to Philadelphia, it’s natural to consider trade possibilities involving his former team.
On Friday, ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose got in on the action. His latest suggestion, however, might appear to be too good to be true, from a Houston perspective. Here’s what he said:
If I’m Daryl Morey, I tried to find a way to parlay Joel Embiid for Russell Westbrook and/or P.J. Tucker. In Houston, they’re going to have to play more traditionally, so therefore you have James [Harden] with the ball on the perimeter, and you have Embiid as his big man. In the Eastern Conference, you have two guys in Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook that no one is ever going to stop from getting to the basket.
Both those guys have found ways to not be able to shoot jump shots and still basically flirt with triple-doubles, and Russell’s been an MVP of the league. You say ‘Well, that’s not Morey-ball.’ Morey-ball is actually also getting layups and dunks, and getting to the free-throw line. Those two guys do that, too.
For starters, let’s take the “or” out of Rose’s statement. Before even considering the basketball merits, Embiid will make nearly $30 million next season, whereas Tucker isn’t even at $8 million. With both the Sixers and Rockets above the league’s projected salary cap, each team has to send out close to as much money in trades as it takes in.
For the Rockets to take in Embiid, Westbrook’s salary (~$41 million) is much closer to a financial match.
But then there’s the basketball side. At just 26 years old, Embiid is already a three-time NBA All-Star. For his career, he averages 23.9 points (48.0% FG), 11.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game.
Westbrook, of course, is a nine-time All-Star and former MVP who averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists this past season. In Morey’s analytics-driven system with the Rockets, Westbrook shot a career-high clip of 47.2% from the field. That’s the good news.
The bad news, at least from the perspective of Rose’s hypothetical trade, is that Westbrook will turn 32 years old on Nov. 12. That makes him more than five years older than Embiid, and that’s before considering how each player’s game might age. In theory, a seven-foot center with post moves could have a friendlier aging curve than a guard who depends largely on athleticism — rather than 3-point shooting — for his excellence.
Jalen Rose suggests Sixers move Joel Embiid to Rockets for Russell Westbrook https://t.co/KKH8wAWs1X
Even though Morey seems to like Westbrook, it’s hard to envision giving up an All-Star center who is only 26 to get him. It’s also fair to wonder how Westbrook would fit next to Simmons, since both guards need space to attack the rim and neither is respected as a 3-point shooter.
By contrast, James Harden is nearly a year younger than Westbrook. He’s also a superior player and, at least on paper, a better bet to age more gracefully (thanks to his superior jump shot). It certainly wouldn’t be a shock if Morey broached that subject, even if it required moving Embiid. However, the Rockets have understandably shown no interest in trading their perennial MVP candidate, so that doesn’t seem to be an option.
Trades involving role players on the Sixers and Rockets — even high-profile ones like Tucker, Eric Gordon, and Al Horford — might be a possibility, assuming Morey still has affinity for his former players in Houston. However, it’s tough to see any trade fit in 2020 involving the four All-Stars of Westbrook, Harden, Embiid, and Simmons.
The deal didn’t get done, but with Noel set to become a free agent this offseason, Houston might again pursue the athletic big man.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Houston Rockets didn’t want to completely commit to smaller lineups as part of their flurry of moves at this past season’s trade deadline in February 2020.
Rather, it happened in part because a planned deal for an established backup center didn’t work out following the blockbuster trade of center Clint Capela for versatile forward Robert Covington.
Per MacMahon, Houston’s target was Nerlens Noel of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here’s how he described it on Zach Lowe’s podcast:
They obviously went all in on micro-ball, but they thought at the time that they could find a bargain big man. If Clint Capela was a full-service Marriott, they thought they could find a Courtyard by Marriott type of big man to at least be in the rotation. .
For example, they had discussions before the trade deadline and were optimistic and thought that they could get a deal done to bring in Nerlens Noel.
Lowe Post podcast: @espn_macmahon on Daryl Morey leaving the Rockets, his legacy there, the backstory of the Westbrook trade, what's next in HOU, Ty Lue getting Clippers job, more:
The Rockets did trade for Bruno Caboclo in the final hours before the deadline, in hopes that he could potentially fill a similar role. However, he struggled in limited opportunities with the Rockets.
As for Noel, the deal likely fell apart because the Thunder were much closer to contention than expected, and thus less likely to be a seller at the deadline. (Oklahoma City, of course, ended up pushing the Rockets to seven games in a tightly contested first-round playoff series.)
Now 26 years old, Noel averaged 7.4 points (68.4% FG), 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 18.5 minutes per game this season. Noel made the minimum salary and is set to become a free agent this offseason, so he very plausibly could again become a target by the Rockets — assuming they still want the option of larger lineups. As an athletic center, he could potentially provide both rim protection on defense and a lob threat on offense (like Capela did) as a pick-and-roll partner for James Harden.
Noel was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by Philadelphia. During his career, he’s played four seasons with the Sixers; one season in Dallas; and the last two in Oklahoma City, where he played alongside current Rockets star Russell Westbrook in the 2018-19 campaign.
There hasn’t been any indication that Houston would put Westbrook on the trade market. But if they did, New York reportedly has interest.
NBA agents believe the New York Knicks would have interest in All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, if he were made available by the Houston Rockets, according to a new report from SNY’s Ian Begley.
However, there has yet to be any indication that Rockets GM Daryl Morey would be willing to explore such a transaction.
Some agents who represent top point guard free agents believe the Knicks would poke around on a potential Russell Westbrook trade if Houston makes him available. It’s worth noting that Westbrook, per sources, saw New York as a welcome landing spot last summer when Oklahoma City was talking to teams about potential trades.
Westbrook’s work ethic and drive would have an impact on New York’s young players.
A few draft notes: teams earlier this month believed that the Knicks were looking to trade for a top 2020 pick; club is probably continuing to look into all of its options ahead of the draft; a note on NYK & Russell Westbrook: https://t.co/s4sHfSZjP9
Now 31 years old, Westbrook is under contract with the Rockets for at least two additional seasons (he has a player option on the third year).
A nine-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 2017 MVP, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in his first season with the Rockets, including a career-best 47.2% shooting clip.
The Rockets have a clear “win now” emphasis, with franchise centerpiece and perennial MVP finalist James Harden now 31 years old, as well. Given that dynamic, as well as the close friendship between Harden and Westbrook and the status of New York’s young roster (the Knicks were just 21-45 last season), it’s hard to see how a deal between the teams would increase Houston’s championship odds in the 2020-21 season.
Nonetheless, should Morey and the Rockets ever decide to change their strategic course, New York’s interest could be a storyline worth remembering. Westbrook’s willingness to play there could also be key, since it’s unlikely that the Rockets would ever trade him somewhere against his will — given Westbrook’s desire to play in Houston.
For now, though, there doesn’t seem to be any traction.
If the Sixers hire Mike D’Antoni, he’s likely to pick some of his own players. Might that lead to a trade with his former team in Houston?
If the 76ers hire former Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni as their head coach (and he seems to be the clear frontrunner), the expectation is that he would be able to change Philadelphia’s roster by adding some of his own players, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
If that’s the case, it’s hard not to imagine at least some exploratory trade discussions between the Sixers and Rockets — since Houston’s roster has largely been shaped to D’Antoni’s liking for four years.
According to multiple sources, Embiid is happy that he’ll face the basket instead of posting up in D’Antoni’s proposed five-out system. D’Antoni’s plan is to move Tobias Harris back to power forward. The Sixers will also make trades if he’s hired, according to reports. The expectation is that he’ll have a say in picking players for his freewheeling style of play.
If the D’Antoni plans to start Embiid and Tobias Harris in the frontcourt, that leaves no room for 6-foot-9 big man Al Horford — who will make $27.5 million next season. That’s a rather high price tag for a reserve. Houston GM Daryl Morey has shown interest in Horford in the past, though with Horford now 34 years old, it isn’t clear if that’s still the case.
As for D’Antoni, he’s spoken in glowing terms about Rockets guard Eric Gordon, and the Sixers could clearly use more volume 3-point shooting if they’re going to run D’Antoni’s preferred system. While Gordon’s salary of roughly $17 million for 2020-21 isn’t enough by itself for Houston to take back Horford (with the Rockets above the salary cap, they have to send out close to as much as they send in), it’s enough as a starting point to get in the ballpark, especially if additional teams are involved.
Not sure why the Rockets would do this. They don’t believe in big men.
Known for his versatility on offense and defense, Horford averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 30.2 minutes last season.
That said, even if a Gordon-Horford deal is too financially challenging to pull off, there are certainly smaller options, as well. What makes sense may also depend on who the Rockets hire as D’Antoni’s successor, and what potentially fits best within that coach’s preferred system.
The Trade NBA website offers a trade machine to explore the various possibilities that are permissible within the league’s salary cap.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t need Andrew Wiggins to be a star.
Speaking to the media about Andrew Wiggins’ potential role with the Golden State Warriors after the team made what was one of, if not the most surprising swaps ahead of NBA trade deadline, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr sought to alleviate concern that the six-year NBA veteran wouldn’t be able to play up to the lofty expectations the former first overall pick has faced throughout his career.
Interestingly, the reason that Kerr and Golden State aren’t worried that Wiggins will fail is because the Warriors aren’t asking him to play like a star. Instead, they want him to play a role.
“Minnesota needed him to be a star,” says Kerr. “And we’re not asking him to be a star. We’re asking him to play a role on a team that already has some star players.”
Steve Kerr on Andrew Wiggins: “Minnesota needed him to be a star. And we’re not asking him to be a star. We’re asking him to play a role on a team that already has some star players.”
Those words are sure to bring out the hecklers considering Wiggins’ draft position and his five-year, $147.7 million contract.
However, Wiggins’ trade — as newsworthy as it was — was never one that was supposed to put him in position to be a first or second option on a healthy Warriors team.
It wasn’t the case of a player like Kevin Durant, long considered a top-three player in the league, leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder to sign with Golden State. Wiggins, a naturally talented player but one whose focus, effort and decision-making have been questioned throughout his career has never been thought of as a top-three player. Not even a top-25 player.
It’s indisputable that Warriors superstars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are superior players and would be seen as the team’s first and second options. That said, the role that Wiggins — with a career average of 19.7 points per game and three seasons scoring at least 20.0 points per game — could play without a shadow of a doubt is that of a scorer.
With Draymond Green operating as a versatile defender and point forward, all Wiggins has to focus on is scoring (although the team will expect better decision-making, a constant willingness to pass and to defend). When Golden State makes their selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, all it guaranteed to be a high lottery pick, they can search for the player who will be a replacement for the departed Andre Iguodala (who has won an NBA Finals MVP with the Warriors).
Wiggins is far from a perfect player but a change of environment (heading to the vibrant Bay Area) with a championship culture and teammates that breathe with competitive fire should do wonders for him.
Steve Kerr on KNBR yesterday when discussing Andrew Wiggins: “Draymond will definitely be in his ear, in a positive way and in a motivational way as well.” You think?! 😂
Yet, honestly, the more that you think about, the better it sounds.
Casting narratives — no matter the amount of truth in them — aside for a moment, there’s the obvious fit for Wiggins at small forward beside point guard Stephen Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson if you think of him as replacing the departure of Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala (even Harrison Barnes, for all intents and purposes). D’Angelo Russell, traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal that shocked the whole league, was always perceived to be an awkward fit when the Splash Brothers returned from their respective injuries.
A combo guard who would have forced Thompson to slide to small forward, Russell’s relative lack of size at 6-foot-5 was also an interesting dynamic to a team that’s utilized length to their advantage over the last few years. Whether their forward was Durant, Iguodala or Barnes, Golden State’s defensive potential was predicated as much on talent as length.
Wiggins is far from an elite defender but has been as focused on that end this season as any point in his career and standing at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan (while being quite the athlete) doesn’t hurt the team defense.
Offensively, his scoring prowess, including the volume (he’s averaging 22.4 points per game) and comfort scoring from three levels like his immediate predecessor at the starting small forward spot (Durant).
His efficiency, due to what’s at times startling shot-selection, can often leave much to be desired even though he’s shot at least 44.4 percent from the field in three of his six seasons. Yet, the Warriors needn’t worry about that as much when Curry and Thompson return due to the gravity they have beyond the arc and the defensive attention they garner, which should be enough to leave Wiggins with plenty of one-on-one opportunities.
It would be different if the team were looking for Wiggins to be the number one option (or 1B) when fully healthy, as Durant was during his tenure with the Warriors. However, he’ll be the team’s third option (or a 2B).
Though he’s likely to have the ball in his hands as much as Thompson plenty of the time, that’s moreso due to the fact that the sharpshooter doesn’t need to have the ball in his hands long to make a basket. Further, as he’s improved his decision-making from years past and is averaging a career-high 3.7 assists per game this season. Now on a team known to emphasize ball-movement and with a reputable championship-culture, there’s even less concern about Wiggins’ potential role.
It’s well-known that Wiggins has yet to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon him after he was selected with the first overall pick in 2014. He may never live up to those expectations to be the greatest player since LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.
Nonetheless, he’s extremely talented and still has plenty of potential. Where there are questions about him putting forth consistent effort, it’s difficult to imagine him adopting a lackadaisical approach with the league’s latest dynasty team and with teammates like Draymond Green demanding greatness from his brothers-in-arms.
That said, the trade is incredibly interesting because the Warriors acquired a draft pick in the 2021 NBA Draft (top-three protected) and own their own draft pick that may be in the top-three in the 2020 NBA Draft. In other words, Golden State is in a fine position to return to the NBA throne and resume their dynastic ways.
This season has been far from what a Warriors fan wanted to see, but with Thursday’s move for Wiggins, Golden State made a shrewd move that should have the Bay Area very excited for their impending future.
