Andrew Wiggins remains Golden State’s most likely trade candidate
Andrew Wiggins hasn’t reached his usual production level this season. The veteran wing, who played a key role in the Golden State Warriors run to the 2022 NBA Championship, has lost his spot in the starting rotation and looks like a shadow of the player that clamped down opposing team’s best players 18 months ago.
According to Tim Kawakami, Wiggins remains the Warriors’ most likely trade piece heading into the February 8 trade deadline. Kawakami also noted how it would be “an upset” if Wiggins were still part of the Warriors roster on February 9. Trading the three-and-d wing could be necessary as the front office seeks to bring in some fresh talent.
“It’d probably be an upset if Andrew Wiggins is still with the Warriors after Feb. 8. He remains a popular member of the team and nobody will ever forget what he did to help them to the 2022 title,” Kawakami reported. “But his game just has fallen off a cliff from the start of this season; this whole Jenga puzzle broke apart when the established starting lineup staggered out of the gate this season and nobody’s more responsible for that than Wiggins.”
Wiggins’ has started just one game since December 12, when the Warriors lost to the Phoenix Suns. He has come off the bench 11 times. In the 33 games he’s played this season, he’s averaging 11.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, shooting 41.8% from the field and 29.8% from 3-point range. Those numbers are all below his career averages.
The Warriors may struggle to find a team willing to absorb Wiggins’ $109 million salary. However, if they can talk themselves into getting him back to his best, there could be a reasonable amount of interest in the one-time champion in the coming weeks.
