The Golden State Warriors are down bad this season, and the anemic play of Andrew Wiggins is no doubt playing a huge role. After helping the Warriors win a title in 2022, Wiggins was inducted into the main core of the group and they looked to him as a piece for the future. This latest stretch from him has been so bad, however, that the Warriors are willing to move on from him for the sake of saving their season.
“Though I’ve said in the past that the Warriors might be reluctant to trade Wiggins,” wrote Tim Kawakami. “I’ve since heard that this would not be a major barrier for the Warriors to explore Wiggins’ trade market. Especially if he can’t play with Kuminga and the Warriors decide that Kuminga is their full-time small forward.”
The Warriors are still looking to compete for a title with Steph, Klay, and Draymond on the roster but the supporting cast has just not been enough to make up for their decline. For Wiggins in particular, his porous shooting from deep and all-around ineffectiveness during games has made him nearly unplayable for the Dubs and his minutes have seen a sharp decline in recent weeks.
A Fall From Grace For The Former All-Star
Drafted first overall in the 2014 Draft, Wiggins entered the NBA with high expectations and he looked pretty good when he won Rookie of the Year in 2015. It became evident pretty early on that Wiggins was not quite as good as advertised and they traded him to the Warriors after just six seasons.
He hit a stride in Golden State and found a home with the franchise alongside Steph and Klay in the 2020-21 season. He was huge for the Warriors during their latest title run, serving as their second-best player throughout the postseason. But things changed for Wiggins after a hiatus last season that saw him miss 22 games. He hasn’t been the same since coming back and his averages are down to 12.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks per game on 42.6% shooting. On December 18th, he hit his lowest point yet after being benched in favor of rookie guard Brandin Podziemski. Wiggins has come off the bench in every game since.
Trade Options For The Warriors
With nothing else to do but make a move, the Warriors are expected to be aggressive in trade talks this season. With Wiggins on the block, they could net a nice return to extend their championship window.
Starting in Canada, the Raptors are a team that has the assets and incentive to make a trade and they are one team that makes a lot of sense for Wiggins, who is a Canadian native. In exchange for Wiggs, the Warriors could get back a guy like OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., or even Pascal Siakam if they attach something else to sweeten the deal.
There’s also the Portland Trail Blazers, who still have a few veterans to trade this season. With the right package, the Warriors could bring Jerami Grant and/or Malcolm Brogdon to the team, and they’d both provide some much-needed depth and scoring to support Curry in the backcourt.
When you mix those teams in with the Bulls, Lakers, and 76ers, it makes for quite an interesting trade market and it’s a unique opportunity for the Warriors to get better and improve their roster while they still have a chance.
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