The Golden State Warriors couldn’t afford to wait for James Wiseman any longer.
They had no choice but to just give up on him, trade him, and recoup one of their most valuable role players for their win-now mindset.
But even if the former No. 2 pick in the draft didn’t pan out in the way they expected, that doesn’t mean his former teammates have lost any love for him.
When asked about facing Wiseman for the first time since the trade, Warriors star Stephen Curry had nothing but words of love and encouragement for the ever-struggling big man (via Warriors on NBC Sports).
Steph wishes nothing but the best for Wiseman and remains confident he'll carve out a roll for himself in the NBA 💯 pic.twitter.com/e18geXiaXH
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 6, 2023
Curry talked about Wiseman having to prove himself and keep working to force the Detroit Pistons to give him more playing time.
He also stated that Wiseman was a great person and that he was looking forward to crossing paths with him, adding that he still believes he’ll be up to the challenge of establishing himself in the league, even if it’s not on the timeline he wishes.
Wiseman showed glimpses of great play at times, but injuries, an unfavorable system, and a team that needed to favor veterans over player development took a big toll on his career.
His game is kind of outdated, and while the physical traits are obviously there, he’s going to have to reinvent himself if he wants to find a spot in the league, especially with Jalen Duren dominating so much for Monty Williams’ team and being the undisputed No. 1 big man in the depth chart for the time being.
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