Report: Golden State Warriors offered Wiseman in trade for major upgrade

The Golden State Warriors appear to be serious about upgrading their roster, so much so that they are reportedly shopping recent second-overall pick, James Wiseman. It’s no secret that Wiseman has yet to pan out for the Warriors, but his slow development could be partially blamed on his missing all of last season with a knee injury.

Still, Wiseman failed to live up to moderate expectations early this season, resulting in his being sent down to the NBA G League for a stint that produced mediocre results for a top pick. Given what’s at stake for the struggling Warriors, it makes sense that they are willing to make a win-now move, even if it means trading a player that they expected would turn into a star.

The Golden State Warriors need an upgrade at center.

With Wiseman failing to crack the rotation at backup center, Golden State is in need of more size, and they have a target in mind. San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl’s name keeps coming up in trade talks, with other teams having an interest in acquiring him.

The Warriors, however, according to Spurstalk’s LJ Ellis, appear to be the most serious of those teams and were interested in a deal that included Wiseman for Poeltl. However, the Spurs have little interest in James Wiseman or Jonathan Kuminga, for that matter. Instead, they prefer two lightly protected future firsts or a combination of Moses Moody and those assets.

That’s a steep asking price for the Warriors, especially since it seems that they were looking to offload Wiseman, possibly because he’s owed $10.3 million next season despite not currently being a rotation player.

They could resolve that by adding a third team to a potential deal, or they could convince the Spurs to take back Wiseman in addition to a pair of future firsts. Or, they could make a separate deal for Wiseman. If none of those things happen, the framework for a potential deal could be Moody, Donte Divincenzo, and their 2025 first (top 10 protected) in exchange for Poeltl.

Now, if the Warriors prefer to keep Moody and the Spurs really aren’t interested in Wiseman or Kumimga (if he’s even available), then the odds of a trade drop significantly. That’s because they don’t have another way to offset salary without a three-team trade.

Overall, the Golden State Warriors seem willing to trade Wiseman and appear serious about acquiring Poeltl. However, the Spurs don’t value two of their best young assets and have a high asking price that the Warriors may be unwilling or unable to meet. Therefore, it doesn’t appear likely that Poeltl will join Golden State this season.