Kerr honest on Wiseman's Warriors timeline, trade potential

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James Wiseman on Thursday underwent surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his right knee.

The 20-year-old is going to be sidelined for several months, and the next update from the Warriors will not come until September.

"He is so promising and so gifted, and we're devastated for him with this injury," Steve Kerr said Friday afternoon on 95.7 The Game's "Damon, Ratto & Kolsky" show. "It's such a shame. He's had such a rough go between missing training camp, and then the wrist injury and now this.

"But he's a really promising talent and a great young guy."

Wiseman had an up-and-down rookie season, as he was shuffled in and out of the starting lineup and didn't get the opportunity to close many games.

He showed flashes of brilliance, but it's clear he remains pretty raw.

"Big guys take longer to develop than guards -- it's just a fact," Kerr said. "So 100 percent when we picked him, it was, 'This guy is really talented and he's a great kid.' However long it takes, he's gonna be well worth the pick.

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"And I know we can further the conversation and say, 'What about the timeline with Steph [Curry and Draymond [Green] and Klay [Thompson] and what does that mean.' And those are valid questions.

"Can we get James up to speed quick enough to match the timeline with our three core guys? And that's a great question. And we don't know the answer. But when you go into a draft and you see someone who potentially is a generational talent, then that's a decision you have to make."

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Soon thereafter, the following back-and-forth took place:

Nick Friedell: "Do you feel like you know enough about James where you would stand on the table and say, 'Hey guys, he's 20, we see the talent -- let's keep him out of any possible trade conversations.' "

Kerr: "Well done. Well played, Nick (laughter). How many people are truly untouchable in the NBA in terms of a trade? I don't know. LeBron [James] , Steph and Giannis [Antetokounmpo]? Everybody's tradeable. You never know what's gonna happen.

"That's [Bob Myers'] job. In this business, you never know how it's gonna play out. But what you value is good young talent. And James is a really, really promising young talent. And we love him on a personal level with his work ethic and his maturity."

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