No one is doubting Andrew Wiggins as a valuable NBA player, but the veteran forward's involvement in recent trade rumors proves the problem that vindicates the Golden State Warriors' decision to move on from him in February's blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade.
Wiggins is a good but not great NBA player, meaning the Miami Heat are now in the position of looking to upgrade from former No. 1 overall pick if the opportunity arises, much like the Warriors ultimately did last season.
Warriors vindicated for moving on from Andrew Wiggins last season
Wiggins is still very much the same player that rebuilt his reputation following his arrival at the Warriors in 2020. Outside of the 2023-24 season, he's averaged 17-19 points over the last five years, including this season where he's posting 16.9 points and 4.9 rebounds on 48.7% shooting from the floor 37.9% from 3-point range.
Again, they're good but not great numbers that typifies who Wiggins is as a player. His contract is now reasonably valuable by today's standard, yet the league is now too talented for the Canadian to be the second-best player on a championship team like he arguably was for Golden State in 2023.
That's especially the case when he's not playing alongside one of the all-time greats and a top 10 player in the game. Instead of playing next to Stephen Curry, Wiggins is now teammates with a number of players who are in a similar boat to him -- good but not great.
That leaves the Heat in a spot that reflects their roster -- good enough to be in the playoff race at 14-11 and eighth in the Eastern Conference, yet no one is buying them as any sort championship contender. At least not until they get that top 10-15 player they desperately crave, which is exactly why Wiggins is going to be on the table again according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line on Sunday.
"Sources insist, however, that Miami is indeed willing to part with Andrew Wiggins (and his $28.2 million salary) in the proverbial right deal," Fischer wrote.
It's highly unlikely that the Heat sell Wiggins for draft capital or young players -- that's not how they tend to operate. There is a strong possibility though that his contract is used as part of a package to buy on an unsettled star as the Warriors did to acquire Butler.
Trading Wiggins was clearly a heart-breaking decision for the Warriors, but clearly they felt they were no longer wedded to him in a way they had been previously. That decision has been vindicated, not just because of Butler's impact, but because the Heat clearly hold a very similar sentiment leading into this trade deadline.