James Wiseman was rumored top the Warriors’ draft board.
Or do they want Anthony Edwards? Or Deni Avdija? Or LaMelo Ball? Or…
A trade makes most sense for Golden State. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green open a championship window, and that should be optimized. It’s unlikely anyone taken with the No. 2 pick will make an immediately positive impact. Rookies rarely do, and this draft especially features many raw, high-upside prospects.
But who wants to trade up in this environment?
Maybe the Hornets, who have the No. 3 pick.
Perhaps, the Warriors’ Wiseman interest is a smokescreen to induce a trade. Unless truly higher on Wiseman (the top prospect who might be most likely to contribute early), Golden State would be well-served to moved down a slot and pick up an extra asset.
Or Charlotte could leapfrog the Warriors entirely and trade up to No. 1 to get Wiseman. The Timberwolves are open to trading the top pick (and therefore incentivized to start rumors like this).
Of course, this is all predicated on the Hornets’ interest in Wiseman being genuine. They could use an upgrade at center, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re interested in this particular center.
But it does seem Wiseman is the main name being used to stir up trade interest near the top of the draft, which might say something about his stock… or his camp’s ability to play the rumor game, too.
