We’ve been covering all the chatter. Will the Golden State Warriors trade Andrew Wiggins? What about Kelly Oubre? Who is on the chopping block for the Warriors? Well, if anyone is getting replaced, it should be Brad Wanamaker.
Wanamaker earned himself a deal with the Dubs after a brief, reliable stint in Boston. I say brief because he fell off pretty quickly when the Celtics needed him most. Regardless, his shining moment as a two-way guard helped him find a role with Golden State to begin the season.
It didn’t take long for this to backfire. Wanamaker is averaging 4.8 points and 2.7 assists on 35.8 percent shooting from the floor. He’s made only 13-of-56 (23 percent) of his 3-point attempts this season and has fallen out of the rotation recently.
It’s hard to be upset at a guy who is only making $2 million dollars – and in a sense, the Warriors are getting what they paid for. As much as Steve Kerr wants to defend his poor performances, it’s obvious the Dubs need to upgrade at this position by next season.
The Dubs might not have to search too far. There’s a guy named Jordan Poole who has been making noise ever since making it out of the G-League Bubble. Poole is averaging close to 20 points per game on blazing hot shooting clips over his last few games.
Poole, a 21-year-old guard with a pure jump shot and the potential to become an elite live-action passer, is seeing the game slow down for him in his second season. The Warriors would be very happy to see Poole blossom into a trustworthy backup to Curry.
Other potential replacements could come from the NBA Draft. As they currently stand, the Warriors will retain their first round pick, landing them somewhere in the back of the lottery. They also have a chance of acquiring Minnesota’s pick, allowing a chance to select a top-end prospect such as Jalen Suggs or Jalen Green.
Or, they could get trade happy. The Brooklyn Nets are rumored to be interested in role players and a second round pick in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie. This sounds like a fairly easy deal to make for Golden State and a clear improvement for their bench.
Whatever it is the Warriors decide to do, finding a new guard to fill in for Wanamaker should be a priority.
