3 ways the Warriors can survive without Steph Curry
By Ian Levy
2. Consider making the big trade
The present and future of James Wiseman continue to be a big question. He scored and rebounded in early minutes this season but struggled mightily on defense and the Warriors were generally hammered by opponents when he was on the floor. He’s been in the G League getting reps but there’s no reason to think he’s going to change their fortunes on the court this season, even if he still has a lot of value as a long-term piece.
With players who signed contracts this offseason eligible to be traded as of day, there are a lot more options available and the Warriors should at least be considering what they can get for Wiseman. Players like Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott, Nicolas Batum, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Kuzma might all be theoretically attainable in a trade with Wiseman as a centerpiece. Any of those players could help them weather the storm of Curry’s absence and be much more useful in a playoff run than Wiseman will be.
It would be mortgaging a big part of their future to patch a present-day hole, but the Warriors need to at least explore what’s possible over the next few weeks.