Warriors weighing options with young players
The time for the Warriors to make any roster-altering decisions is dwindling.
And after months of portraying that they like their current roster as is, with less than 24 hours until the NBA trade deadline, it appears that Golden State is at least considering some tweaks to its current 14-player main roster.
Both James Wiseman and Moses Moody appear to be candidates to be traded away. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Tuesday that the team was becoming more aggressive in shopping those two players, which the Bay Area News Group has confirmed.
Neither Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick from 2020, nor Moody, the No. 14 pick in 2021, has been able to find consistent minutes this season, leading some teams to call and be willing to take either player off of the Warriors’ hands on the cheap (a protected second-round pick).
There would be a massive financial benefit for the Warriors to offloading a contract, as the Dubs are deep into the luxury tax. Former Grizzlies front office man John Hollinger broke down the financial savings at The Athletic, saying the Warriors could save more than $50 million this year and an estimated $85 million next year, the final year of his contract.
If the Warriors do elect to keep Wiseman, 21, they’ll have further decisions on him moving forward. The 7-footer’s rookie contract is up after the 2023-24 season, but he’d be eligible for an extension after this current season.
Would Golden State consider offering him much of an extension — and would Wiseman accept? If the answer to either of those is no, then are the Warriors willing to give him the $15 million qualifying offer that would make him a restricted free agent in 2024?
For a player who has only played in 60 games combined in his nearly three full NBA seasons, it would seem like a doubling down on a highly risky investment. That’s why a possible offloading trade could make a ton of sense for the Warriors, regardless of the return,
which is not likely to be much given Wiseman’s struggles.
Moody, 20, has also seen a significant drop in his role this season, even as the Warriors have dealt with injuries or absences in the backcourt. While moving Moody’s contract wouldn’t save as much money as Wiseman’s, the tax implications could still bring significant savings to Golden State’s bottom line.
There’s also another benefit to opening up roster spots: It clears the path for the Warriors to add players who could more readily help them this season — both internally and externally.
Internally, two-way players Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome have both found more stable spots in the rotation than Wiseman and Moody. But two-way players can only be active for 50 games in a season and can’t be on the postseason roster – so if the Warriors want them to continue to be on the court in the playoffs, they’ll have to be added to the 15-man roster. Clearing a spot by moving Wiseman or Moody would allow the Warriors to do so.
Externally, the end of trade season usually brings about a number of buyouts for veteran players who weren’t traded. While it isn’t known who would be a candidate for such a move, Golden State may want to keep a roster spot open to be able to add a player who gets bought out.
It seems clear that the Warriors are at least aiming for another championship this season with the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. But could this be the final ride for that trio?
“I think the Warriors are headed for big, big, giant decisions. I think they’re going to happen in June and July,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on “NBA Today” on Tuesday.
Green, 32, has a player option after this season that he could elect to decline, which would allow him to enter unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career. He’s already hinted that he doesn’t believe he’ll be back in the Bay.
Thompson, 32, will be entering the final year of his contract next season, making more than $43 million. Could the Warriors elect to move on from Thompson to clear a starting path for Jordan Poole, whose four-year extension begins next year?
The Warriors’ long-term core, as it stands, is clearly the 23-year-old Poole, 27-year-old Andrew Wiggins and Curry, still their superstar at age 34. The much ballyhooed “two timelines” plan has clearly underwhelmed this season.
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