This season saw one of the most dramatic trade deadlines in NBA history, with All-Star players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant finding new teams and a second-round pick explosion as teams wanted to improve their rosters without sacrificing firsts
However, the biggest talking point has emerged from a trade that included the Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, and Portland Trail Blazers. Out of the many moving parts of the trade, the Warriors sent James Wiseman to Detroit for second-round draft picks that they sent to the Blazers to reacquire Gary Payton II, who left the Warriors as a free agent in the summer.
The trade was almost canceled after the Warriors were misled by the Blazers on GPII’s health, making the player get back to the court on Toradol and endangering his future health. The Warriors reportedly believe that this is something the Blazers did last season when they traded Larry Nance and C.J. McCollum to the Pelicans last season and Chris Haynes has said they’ve asked the NBA to look into it.
“I was told they urged the league to look into (CJ McCollum) and Larry Nance Jr. They believe that a similar incident happened in that deal and they feel like the Blazers may have a pattern of doing something where they’re either withholding information or presenting misleading information. Without having all the details, what I do know is the Warriors have made it clear that the league need to look into that trade from last year… You can expect the league to call New Orleans to see what they say and give their take on what happened in that deal.”
This would be a bad look for the Blazers, as a pattern of doing this to teams may increase the sanctions the league will have to put into place. For now, it’s best for the NBA to investigate Golden State’s claims and then we can see what punishment, if any, will be doled out.
Did The Golden State Warriors Get Worse?
The Warriors made one move to get rid of their No. 2 overall pick in 2020 for a player that already won a title with them. However, they failed to address their need for size by losing Wiseman, as the team is back to relying on Kevon Looney for production there. With GPII expected to be unavailable, the Warriors may not get a chance to play him prior to the playoffs.
Given the leaps teams like the Mavericks, Suns, Clippers, and Lakers took, the competition in the West has become stiff. Hopefully, Golden State can rely on their championship-winning pedigree to find success this season, as they’re still among the most dangerous teams in the conference.
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