I said in July that the Warriors would regret letting Gary Payton II leave.
Well, seven months later, that regret was so significant the Warriors effectively traded James Wiseman — the former No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft — to bring Payton back to San Francisco.
Call it Payton II, redux.
It’s a great move for the Warriors, who used two separate trades to route Payton to the Bay once again.
And while it doesn’t match the splash of the Suns adding Kevin Durant, that was never possible at this trade deadline.
But by bringing back Payton, the Warriors’ repeating as champions becomes even more possible. Payton, 30, was not only a critical defensive cog on a championship team last season, but also a linchpin on offense.
Payton should help the Warriors immediately with his elite perimeter defense and savvy rim-running ability. For a Warriors’ team that has lacked the ability to get stops in critical moments and basketball IQ throughout the game, Payton will be a godsend. Yes, he’s a depth piece, but he’s a much-needed one for a team that has felt at least one piece short for a while.
We know Payton fits with the Dubs.
And we knew Wiseman did not.
Let’s be blunt: Wiseman was always the wrong draft pick for the Warriors. But at least the Dubs did right by him — and the team — at the NBA’s trade deadline.
Wiseman is now a Detroit Piston. You can view it as a three-team trade or two separate trades, but in the initial Wiseman deal with the Pistons, the Warriors’ return was only five second-round picks and fellow lottery bust Kevin Knox.
Those five second-round picks and Knox were sent to Portland for Payton within an hour.
On its own, trading Wiseman was the right move for the Warriors. Golden State shed a player whose costs were rising and minutes were dwindling.
It’s also the right move for Wiseman, who now has a chance to play and develop.
Selecting Wiseman in 2020 was a foolhardy move that ran counter to everything that had made the Warriors successful. It was a regressive play made by an organization that was supposed to be “lightyears ahead.”
The Dubs — namely ownership — were blinded by athleticism and size. They selected a traditional center for a team that doesn’t use one and an exceptionally inexperienced player for systems that require elite basketball IQ.
Wiseman’ athletic talent is undeniable, but that didn’t turn into much of anything for the Warriors. There were flashes, but they were only that. The Warriors needed a player, and Wiseman was never going to develop into that with the Dubs.
The issue was that he was paid like one. By virtue of being the No. 2 overall pick, the Warriors were scheduled to pay Wiseman $12 million next season.
Wiseman had become the perfect case study of a sunk cost for the Warriors. Good on them for not falling prey to the fallacy that usually accompanies sunk costs.
In fact, the Warriors saved money by replacing Wiseman with Payton on the roster.
This, after Payton was too expensive for the Warriors to sign this past offseason.
So good on Payton, too. He deserved to be paid what he received from Portland (three years, $26 million) and now he’s on the right team again.
Yes, the Warriors sold low on Wiseman — as low as you could sell, given that they initially received nothing of serious value in return. But, as was the case when Wiseman was on the floor, a rebound wasn’t coming.
Sending Wiseman to Detroit gives him a chance to become the player the Warriors once thought he could be — if that’s at all possible. The Pistons are rebuilding and will have playing time and patience for the young center. He’s about to turn 22 years old, but he’s still in the infancy of his basketball career.
Is there risk in that for the Warriors? Perhaps.
But the bigger risk for the Warriors was keeping Wiseman on the roster and in the state he last occupied — the state he was likely to always occupy. Being able to move him, effectively, for a player they know can help? Even better.
The Dubs added a critical, winning player for someone who wasn’t going to play. That’s a win for today and tomorrow.
Talent matters most in this league, but when we’re parsing between top teams, fit, chemistry, and experience are massive factors.
The Suns have a new team with Durant in tow. While I expect their prodigious talent to jell, there are no guarantees there.
Meanwhile, the Warriors’ other West peers, the Nuggets, Clippers, and Grizzlies made minor upgrades at most Thursday.
You can view Payton returning to the Bay as the same thing, but we know he will bring nothing but good vibes to the Dubs.
Let this deal float under the radar nationally amid a relentless stream of deadline-day trades. Come the spring, I promise you that it won’t be overlooked.
