Warriors biggest x-factor entering next season isn't Kuminga or Podziemski

When you think biggest x-factors for the Golden State Warriors entering next season, most will immediately be drawn to the immensely talented young duo of Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski.

Huge individual growth from the pair is seen as the Warriors only realistic way of vaulting back towards contention, with the franchise having chosen to keep Kuminga and Podziemski this offseason rather than include them in a trade for a more proven star player.

In a recent article looking at 'Every NBA Team's Biggest X-Factor for 2024-25 Season', Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report identified Kuminga as that player for Golden State. There's certainly an argument to be made for the fourth-year forward or Podziemski for that matter, yet it's not simply those two in the conversation.

Andrew Wiggins could actually be characterized as the Golden State Warriors biggest x-factor ahead of the 2024-25 season

It's almost impossible to see Kuminga or Podziemski going backwards -- their trajectory is on the way up, it's just a matter of how steep that is. One player whose production is far less certain heading into next season is veteran forward Andrew Wiggins.

In the space of two years Wiggins has gone from being the second-best player on a championship team, to having easily the worst season of his decade-long career. The Warriors are highly reliant on the Canadian having a bounce-back year in 2024-25, but how much can we trust in that to actually take place?

This is what has made Wiggins an enigma of sorts throughout his career -- a supremely talented player and athlete whose best is All-Star worthy, and yet someone who can also float through plays, quarters, games and weeks with little to no impact.

The 29-year-old should be in the prime of his career, not coming off a year that was his worst. The personal issues also add a layer to this in a way that doesn't pertain to Kuminga, Podziemski or most others on the roster. The former number one overall pick has missed time in each of the past two seasons due to personal matters, and has now cancelled a trip to China in the coming days due to a family emergency according to his manager.

Golden State will rightfully continue to support Wiggins through a very sensitive situation, yet it does also make it more challenging to evaluate how fans and analysts should set on-court expectations upon the starting small forward ahead of his 11th season.

Through all the ups-and-downs, the Warriors are dependant on Wiggins to not only be their primary point-of-attack defender, but also one of their leading scorers particularly now more than ever after the departure of Klay Thompson.

Wiggins could come out next season, have the best year of his career and re-enter All-Star conversations. He could also miss a heap of games, play even worse than last season, be demoted to the bench more permanently, and/or be traded by mid-season. It's this wide-ranging scale of possibilities that arguably makes him a bigger x-factor for the Warriors than their young players or anyone else on the roster entering next season.