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Warriors Trade Recap: How the Andrew Wiggins deal looks a year later

ByAlex King|
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball up court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on February 08, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball up court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on February 08, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors made a trade that changed the league around a year ago, and it seems like they won that high-profile tranasction.

We’re approaching the one-year anniversary of trading D’Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 protected first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick. While D’Angelo Russell has established himself as an All-Star in this league, the trade could prove to be more beneficial to the Golden State Warriors than it was to Minnesota.

So how does the Andrew Wiggins trade look a year later?

Let me preface this by saying I think D’Angelo Russell is a very, very good NBA player. The trade was mutually beneficial for both parties. The Warriors got rid of somebody who didn’t really fit their system and acquired reasonable draft compensation.

Russell is a ball-dominant point guard. Obviously, on a team with Steph Curry, the probability of them coexisting was low. It made sense to try and move him in exchange for some draft capital and maybe a decent role player.

That “decent role player” ended up being Andrew Wiggins. While I don’t necessarily think that Andrew Wiggins is better than D’Angelo Russell, I do think he fits into the Warriors scheme and is more malleable for the future.

Statistically, Russell still has Wiggins beat. Russell is averaging 20.7 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, and 5.5 assists per game on the year. He also is shooting a respectable 51.5 eFG%.

Wiggins, although he has been very solid this year, offers a reduced scoring output of 17.9 points per game. However, he is putting up 4.8 rebounds per game and is shooting a career-best 39.3 percent from beyond the arc.

What Wiggins does offer is a surprise: Defense.

He is averaging 1.8 blocks per game, and in their most recent game against the Pacers, he put up a monstrous 5 blocks.

Wiggins seems to be embracing his role on the defensive end. He is putting in the effort, and that’s really all you can ask for from someone on defense. His feel for defensive rotations will improve over time.

Age-wise, these guys are fairly similar. Wiggins is almost 26, and Russell is almost 25. We still don’t have a full understanding of what Wiggins is capable of, and both should be treated as having a similar upside.

All-in-all, I’d say this was a win/win trade for both sides. The Wolves got their guy, and Wiggins is showing that he has the potential to play an integral role as the Warriors try to contend for a championship again in the future.

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