Golden State Warriors

Warriors Owe James Wiseman Trade Or Playing Time ‘Fair' Question to Steve Kerr

The former No. 2 overall pick has battle injures and struggled to establish himself in the Warriors' lineup over the past three seasons

Why Kerr 'feels bad' for Wiseman amid tumultuous NBA career originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

What do the Warriors do with James Wiseman? Not even Steve Kerr knows the answer. 

The third-year center returned from an ankle injury Wednesday night but did not log a single minute in the Warriors' 122-120 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center. 

Kerr joined 95.7 The Game's "Damon & Ratto" on Thursday, where he was asked if the Warriors owe it to Wiseman to either trade him or give him more playing time as he continues to battle through adversity. 

"I think that's a fair question," Kerr said. "One of the things I tell James from time to time, is that I feel bad for him because of the circumstances. He's had a tough go with the injuries, the injuries definitely set him back. But the bottom line is he's a really talented young guy playing on a veteran team.

"So he's in a situation where he's not getting many reps and playing time as he would in a different set of circumstances had he been drafted by a different team. He'd be getting more opportunities that's for sure, but that's part of his story, that's part of his journey. And what I love about James is that he understands that and recognizes it and continues to keep a positive spirit and energy and he works hard every single day and he's wonderful to coach."

Kerr remains high on Wiseman and hopes he still will have the opportunity to coach the 21-year-old. 

"As I've said many times, I'm a huge fan," Kerr added. "However this plays out, we don't know, but I hope I get to continue to coach him and I hope he can develop here and get more opportunities as we go forward."

Wiseman has split time between the NBA and the G League this season. In 19 games with the Warriors, Wiseman is averaging 6.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 12.7 minutes of action. 

It remains to be seen what the Warriors will do with Wiseman, but if healthy, Kerr will remain patient and hope that the former No. 2 overall pick eventually carves out a consistent role with the team. 

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