Warriors trades help, but were they enough? How Gary Payton II and James Wiseman moves impact 2023 NBA title odds
While teams around the Western Conference made big strides, the Golden State Warriors remain more or less intact heading into the second half of the season.
They have been rumored to be interested in acquiring several guards/wings including Alex Caruso who remains with the Chicago Bulls, Matisse Thybulle who was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and OG Anunoby who is one of the hottest names around Market that ended up staying in Toronto.
The move they made surprised many, moving 2020 No. 2 overall James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons in a four-team deal that reunited them with Gary Payton II and five second-round picks after Portland turned.
With Stephen Curry (34), Draymond Green (32) and Klay Thompson (33) not getting any younger, the Warriors were expected to make a move that would propel them into title contention and the return of Payton II does that. .kind of.
Now that the trading deadline has passed, what does this mean for the future of the Golden State? The Sporting News breaks it all down.
NBA TRADE DEADLINE: Follow every trade | Commercial Qualities | Winner and Loser
What’s next for the Warriors after the 2023 trade deadline?
Next up is James Wiseman
By selling James Wiseman to the Pistons, the Warriors cut their losses to the 21-year-old, who has struggled to live up to the promise of his No.2 draft pick status in his three seasons at The Bay.
Injuries played a part, but for a player who averaged just 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 60 (!) appearances, he wasn’t the player who would help them win a championship — at least in this season and possibly next .
As TSN’s Gil McGregor noted in evaluating the Warriors deal, the deal with Wiseman had its financial benefits for Golden State, which according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger, will cost $51 million in salaries and taxes this year and an estimated next year Save $85 million.
The Warriors would always be under pressure to complete a deal for a big name like Anunoby given their limited financial flexibility and lack of assets, but by giving up Wiseman’s contract they are set for this season and could try to make a move in Summer, one that could really maximize the rest of Stephen Curry’s heyday.
Welcome back Gary Payton II
The reigning champions are looking to win now and James Wiseman wasn’t the type to help them. However, Gary Payton II certainly helps.
Addressing one of their biggest needs, Payton II adds a much-needed perimeter defense to its second unit. Having helped them win the championship last season, his familiarity with the system and his teammates makes him an easy option to snap right back into the lineup.
“GP is very similar to me in being undersized if you will, if that’s a word is his weapon,” Draymond Green told NBC Sports Bay Area.
“Because they don’t know how old he is. You can affect shots, you can get steals where your opponent thinks, “Oh, that’s open,” but then an arm goes up, an arm goes out. These are things that cannot be taught.
“He just has a knack for the ball, so he gets offensive rebounds and steals. He just has a knack for the ball. Me and Loon used to call him a little five.”
Payton II didn’t make his debut with the Blazers until January due to a muscle injury, averaging just 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17 minutes in 15 games, but back with the healthy Warriors he should be able to do something straight away to effect.
Ultimately, getting Payton II was a roundabout way after he was unable to step down during the offseason due to their over-the-top cap situation, forcing him to sign a three-year, $26 million deal at Portland.
TSN’s Steph Noh surmised this in his analysis of the trade deadline’s winners and losers:
The Warriors could have just re-signed Payton last summer. Instead, they lost Wiseman and massively overpaid to give Payton his money anyway.
Wiseman didn’t want to work with the Warriors, so walking away from him made sense. But that was a disaster in wealth management.
Stephen Curry Injury and Warriors 2023 NBA Title Odds
The Warriors have no time to waste as they try to make the most of their Curry-led championship window and ultimately they can attribute their recent struggles to injuries.
Mainly Stephen Curry.
Curry is re-evaluated after the All-Star break, and despite playing at the elite level, they’re only 20-18 with him in the lineup and 8-9 without him.
The big question in the offseason will be the future of Draymond Green, who can become an unrestricted free agent if he declines his $27.6 million player option for 2023-24.
After signing Jordan Poole in a $140 million deal and Andrew Wiggins in a $109 million extension, they could face a luxury tax bill in excess of $200 million.
Ultimately, the question remains whether Gary Payton II’s return to a Western Conference, which also saw the Suns, Nuggets, Clippers and Mavericks increase their rotations to varying degrees, will move the needle.
Golden State entered the trading deadline at +500 to win the Western Conference but now stands at +750 according to BetMGM. The odds makers are skeptical that the defending champions have done enough. Only time can tell.
All contract details courtesy of Spotrac.