The Golden State Warriors are thinking win now.
They may have potential building blocks for the future with last year’s No. 2 pick James Wiseman, plus the No. 7 and 14 picks in this upcoming lottery, but they also have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green in the back ends of their primes. The goal is not to build for four years from now but to win now with that core — which means the Warriors are thinking trade.
John Hollinger of The Athletic reports — and this has been the buzz around the league since before the NBA Draft Lottery — that the Warriors are willing to move and package Wiseman and the picks to get real help now.
Golden State assured itself of an additional first-round pick when Minnesota failed to land in the top three on lottery night. The Warriors now have the seventh and 14th picks plus last year’s second overall pick, James Wiseman, and there is a widespread expectation that the Warriors will use No. 7 and Wiseman, in particular, to seek more immediate upgrades to the roster. One name to watch: Pascal Siakam.
Siakam is an interesting name and Toronto an interesting trade partner.
Siakam had an All-NBA level campaign in 2020 (the bubble season), but last season he battled injuries, shot 29.7% from 3, and took a step back in efficiency (he still averaged 21.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game). If Kyle Lowry moves on from Toronto in free agency, as expected, the Raptors have a decision to make about its rebuild, and if Siakam — on a massive contract extension locked in for three more years — is part of that. To Toronto, the potential of Wiseman and a lottery pick may be worth more than Siakam and the $80.9 million he is owed over the next three years.
The Warriors believe they could return Siakam to his All-NBA level self, which would be a huge upgrade over Andrew Wiggins.
Whether or not Siakam is the ultimate trade target, expect to hear a lot of Warriors trade rumors in the run-up to the draft. They will be shopping their picks and Wiseman.
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Report: Warriors may package No. 7 pick, Wiseman in trade. For Siakam? originally appeared on NBCSports.com