The Warriors have parted ways with James Wiseman less than three years after selecting him second overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that Wiseman is being sent to the Pistons in a four-team deal that sends Saddiq Bey to the Hawks, while five second-round draft picks and Kevin Knox go to the Trail Blazers. The Warriors bring back Gary Payton II.
The news comes in the final hours ahead of the trade deadline, a time in which Golden State and Atlanta look to improve ahead of a playoff push, while Detroit continues its focus on the future.
How did each team fare in the deal? The Sporting News has trade grades for the Pistons, Warriors and Hawks below.
TRADE DETAILS: What Warriors, Pistons, Hawks received in James Wiseman deal
Pistons trade grade
This continues a recent trend for the Pistons, who have been in the business of acquiring former top picks that have not yet found their footing.
Prior to the deal, a tweet from Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press indicated that Pistons general manager Troy Weaver was high on Wiseman ahead of the NBA Draft in 2020.
Similar to what it has done with Marvin Bagley III and attempted to do with Kevin Knox, Detroit adds a high-upside player in Wiseman, who has plenty of untapped potential.
It's unclear whether or not Wiseman can reach said potential, but a new home is a good start.
Wiseman has shown flashes in his career and was beginning to put things together prior to tearing his meniscus late in his rookie season. He will soon be 22 and matches the developmental timeline of a young core in Detroit that also features Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Killian Hayes, Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Stewart.
This is a long-term play for the Pistons, who have a core of several young talents to build on moving forward.
Grade: B-
Warriors trade grade
Injuries are the main culprit, but this deal effectively serves as Golden State's admission that the franchise didn't get it right in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Considering the time also saw Golden State win an NBA title, it could have gone much worse.
Just as Wiseman needed new scenery, the Warriors needed to cut ties to focus on its title defense and different long-term plans. Most importantly, the deal provides major financial relief for Golden State.
According to a recent report from John Hollinger of The Athletic, trading Wiseman without taking back any salary would save $51 million in salary and tax this year and an estimated $85 million next year.
The financial part essentially made it a no-brainer, but it's hard to praise Golden State too much for working to right its wrongs from a few years ago.
Grade: C+
UPDATE: According to follow-up reporting from Wojnarowski, Knox and the five second-round picks are being re-routed from Golden State to Portland, facilitating the return of Gary Payton II, who played a massive role in the Warriors' run to the 2022 NBA title.
With the knowledge that Payton is back to reprise the role he played last season, this becomes more of a win for the Warriors.
Updated grade: B-
Hawks trade grade
Like in most years, Atlanta was in need of a shake-up. Acquiring Bey qualifies as just that.
This season, Bey is averaging 14.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists through 52 games. A career 35.7 percent 3-point shooter, Bey's shooting has taken a slight downturn since he shot 38.0 percent from beyond the arc as a rookie, but he's more than capable of spacing the floor.
Bey won't turn 24 until the end of the season and brings wing depth to the Hawks' roster.
A mid-first-round pick in 2020, Bey is making just under $3 million this season and will make $4.6 million next season, making him a value addition for Atlanta, which looks to make a late-season run into the East's top six.
Grade: B+
Trail Blazers trade grade
The Blazers entered the chat as the landing spot for Knox.
Knox, 23, was a top-10 pick five years ago, but has yet to find the right spot in the league. He's averaging 5.6 points per game this season, which was his first in Detroit.
Portland has proven to be a good landing spot for Justise Winslow, who, while a much different player, could provide a blueprint for the team to follow as far as providing a new beginning.
With the deadline acquisitions of Cam Reddish and Matisse Thybulle, the loss of Payton doesn't sting as much for Portland.
Not much of a risk to yield a potentially high reward.
Grade: B
