Golden State Warriors Open to Exploring Andrew Wiggins’ Trade Market
According to Tim Kawakami, the Golden State Warriors are now willing to explore Andrew Wiggins' trade market, reversing their previously reported plans. The team had been uninterested in moving the former All-Star due to his relatively cheap contract, which he signed just last October. However, it's noteworthy that the Warriors are open to the possibility of trading Wiggins. Less than two years ago, Wiggins was an All-Star starter and a Finals hero during their 2022 title run.
Primarily, Wiggins hasn't reached the heights he did in the 2021-22 season. He missed a large chunk of last season with an undisclosed personal matter, and has been so underwhelming to start this campaign that he was recently benched for Jonathan Kuminga.
Through 27 games, Wiggins is averaging 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds on 42.6% shooting from the field and 29.9% from 3-point land. Those are the worst scoring and 3-point shooting marks of his career, and the fewest rebounds he's grabbed since 2017 when he was in his third season in the league. His four-year, $109 million extension looked like a bargain based on his previous performance, but it's too much to pay for a role player off the bench. It remains to be seen if Wiggins will be permanently relegated to that role, but if he is, it makes sense to explore trade options.
Kuminga, meanwhile, is playing some of the best basketball of his career and has essentially the same skillset and physical profile as Wiggins. So far, the two haven't shown an ability to play together, which means the Warriors may have to make a choice. If the younger Kuminga -- who will be up for a rookie extension next year -- can give you much of Wiggins' production at a cheaper price, the Warriors may view him as the best option moving forward. That would also make Wiggins more expendable..
The Golden State Warriors’ position in the Western Conference standings will be a factor in their decision-making process come the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Currently, they are in 11th place with a 15-16 record, which puts them outside of the Play-In Tournament. However, they are only 2.5 games out of sixth place and could easily be in the top-six mix by then. General manager Mike Dunleavy has stated that the team’s performance in the next 15-20 games will be crucial in determining their future. He believes that the team’s chemistry, lineups, and record will need to improve if they want to be successful.”