Warriors' Klay Thompson: James Wiseman 'Going to Be a Heck of a Player' After Trade

The Golden State Warriors front office may have lost faith in James Wiseman, but Klay Thompson has not.

Thompson expressed support for his former teammate after Monday's 135-126 win over the Washington Wizards.

"I just know he's going to be a heck of a player in this league. ... I'm going to miss him," Thompson told reporters.

The Warriors traded Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons at the deadline as part of a four-team deal that brought Gary Payton II back to Golden State. The No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, Wiseman played just 60 games during his Warriors tenure and struggled to fit in with the veteran-laden roster.

"It was just difficult for me to give James the runway that he needed," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "He was great. Every single day he came to work with a great attitude, positive spirit. He's everything you look for in a young player in terms of his approach and his talent. But the timing was difficult, given what he needed and where we are as a franchise."

Wiseman and Thompson grew close when both were rehabbing from injuries during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons and shared lockers.

It's expected that Wiseman will be able to make his Pistons debut this week. He averaged 6.9 points and 3.5 rebounds with the Warriors this season.