Warriors: Andrew Wiggins brings value that shouldn’t easily be traded
If the Golden State Warriors are going to trade for the likes of forward Pascal Siakam or center Myles Turner, they’ll have to include Andrew Wiggins, but after this past season, the stigma around his value should change.
Coming to Golden State from Minnesota, Wiggins was a one-dimensional player that not many people saw the value in as a playmaker and defender. In the right culture, he recreated the perceived outlook.
With the Golden State Warriors active in trade rumors, they need to consider the value of Andrew Wiggins after arguably his best season in the NBA.
Why would the Warriors want to trade Wiggins? Well, that’s simple: His contract. Wiggins was originally the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He was drafted by the Cavaliers but quickly flipped to Minnesota in the blockbuster Kevin love trade.
Prior to being dealt to Golden State, Wiggins signed a max-value contract with the Wolves. Given that deal, he’s set to make $31.6 million this next season and $33.6 million the following year. Those figures are enough to put in a superstar tier.
Currently, he’ll be the 27th highest-paid player next season. So, does his play justify his contract? No, it’s doesn’t, but he’s moved on from the point of being a liability on the defensive end. In the right system, Wiggins averaged 18.6 points per game as the team’s second scoring option.
He also hit a career-high 47.7 percent of his shots from the field and a career-high 38 percent of his shots from deep. His rebounds and assists per game both also topped his career average.
Wiggins is far from a superstar talent, but he’s also developed into a player that’s capable of giving a team 20 points per game. He could fit well alongside Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.
That said, until we know the fit of the three with Draymond Green, there’s no reason to think they couldn’t be title contenders. Wiseman and Wiggins is a huge package for a player that’s not among the top ten in the NBA.
Wiggins’s value is there as he’s coming off his best season in the NBA, and when talking about trading him, it should be clear that he’s more than just a throw-in to make money work. He’s a borderline star that proved he can be an elite role player.
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Hopefully, as spacing continues to improve with Thompson back, Wiggins’s efficiency can also continue its uptrend.