Potential NBA Lottery prize James Wiseman wants to play with Warriors

James Wiseman, a potential No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, thinks he and the Warriors can win the draft lottery Thursday night even if the ping-pong balls don’t bounce their way.

The Warriors just need to select him if he’s available in the draft on Oct. 16.

Like many, including former All-Star Isaiah Thomas, the 7-foot-1 center from Memphis doesn’t see a losing team when he looks at the squad that finished with the NBA’s worst record. Wiseman sees a unique opportunity to kick-start his pro career by teaming with All-Stars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

“I feel that’s a great fit,” Wiseman said on ESPN’s ‘The Jump.’ “I feel like, playing with better players like that I can be able to develop my game quickly. But I can also just learn from them because they’ve been in the league for really a long time. So just me being under their wings, it’d be great.”

Wiseman joined the diminutive Thomas as players to publicly declare their desire to play with the Warriors this week.

“I need that warriors action. I’ll come off the bench serving!!!” Thomas said in a Twitter post.

Thomas, a three-time NBA All-Star point guard, will become an unrestricted free agent after the postseason concludes. He spent this year with the Wizards, scoring 12.2 points per game in 40 games. Now he’s eyeing the backup point guard spot behind Curry, where Jordan Poole, Ky Bowman and Mychal Mulder have first dibs.

While Thomas, one of the game’s best people, is interested in the Warriors, should the re-loading Warriors be interested in him?

At 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, he still would represent a big gamble. At best, Thomas is a scorer who can get to the rim. At worst, there’s no one who can be better exploited on defense.

Thomas’ 120.2 defensive rating this year was the worst of any player who appeared in more than 10 games. It’s also his worst rating in a nine-year career beset by defensive deficiencies and dismal analytic ratings.

And, as we’ve seen during the Warriors’ dynastic run, struggling on defense is pretty much a deal-breaker for players hoping to get any run with them.

The next step in the re-shaping of the Warriors roster becomes a bit clearer Thursday night.

The Warriors, who have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery, could have an opportunity to select Wiseman even if the lottery’s ping-pong balls don’t add up to a win for them. Golden State is guaranteed a top-five pick and there are no guarantees Wiseman would be picked in the first four slots during this wide-open draft devoid of a clear-cut No. 1 choice.

The 19-year-old Wiseman offers an enticing combination of size and athleticism, and the chance to become the rim-running, shot-blocking big man the Warriors have lacked. But there are also good reasons the Warriors may want high-scoring Georgia guard Anthony Edwards or versatile Maccabi Tel Aviv small forward Deni Avdija pairing with their current stars.