According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Detroit Pistons and the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks have reached an agreement to trade three teams, including the center James Wiseman and the forward Saddiq Bey.
Detroit will send Bey to the Hawks as they acquire Wiseman. To complete the deal, the Hawks are sending five second-round picks to the Warriors. Golden State will also receive forward Kevin Knox, although he may be traded elsewhere.
Wiseman is the most intriguing name in the trade.
Selected second overall in 2020, the embattled center has had a rocky start to his NBA career. Just 21-years-old, his athleticism and potential have been overshadowed by injuries and a lack of court awareness. An uninspiring start for a championship-contender has led to him immense pressure and criticism, which clearly effected his confidence.
Not many former second overall picks are traded for second-round picks. Especially less than three years after being drafted.
That fact highlights the reality of James Wiseman’s young career to this point.
Nonetheless, the Pistons are clearly ready to take a chance on Wiseman. With a $12.1 million team option on his contract for the 2023-24 season, he’s equally a project and a trade asset for Detroit.
To that point, the Pistons already have a starting center in Jalen Duren. A physically imposing rookie who turned 19 in November, Duren has the look of a player who’ll be in the league for a long time.
The biggest winner of the trade could be the Hawks. While Bey is streaky, his scoring potential is a perfect fit for a rotation that could use some extra pop. Yet the biggest factor in why the Hawks acquired him should be his defense.
Atlanta is just 27-28 (8th in the East), in large part because they rank 20th in opponent’s points scored per game (116.5) and 19th in defensive efficiency (114.9)
Source: https://clutchpoints.com
