Will Andrew Wiggins leave the Golden State Warriors?
If it wasn’t clear already, it’s the end of an era in the Bay Area. With Klay Thompson speculation swirling, the Warriors are now offering up another star.
The Canadian star was a critical part of the Warriors 2022 championship run but as things stand he’s about to be on his way out which only cements the idea that the Warriors are cleaning house. While it remains unclear where Andrew Wiggins will end up, what’s certain is that the Warriors have a hole to fill.
Andrew Wiggins is on his way out
According to reports on Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors are on the hunt for a team with whom they can do a deal for one of its roster’s core members. That’s to say that Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is about to be “aggressively dangled” in the coming trade window. This is of course somewhat surprising when considering Wiggins’ numbers in recent times. During the Warriors’ march to a sixth title in the 2022 NBA Finals, Wiggins averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game against the Boston Celtics.
Yet, it’s got to be said that in the two years that have passed, the 29-year-old’s productivity has dropped. Indeed, Wiggins struggled during this most recent campaign, evidenced by his career-low average of 13.2 points in 27 minutes per game. It would also be naive to think that Wiggins’ situation is not affected by the ongoing standoff with star shooting guard, Klay Thompson, a player that both the management and head coach Steve Kerr have openly indicated they want to keep. With Wiggins signed for the next two seasons and in possession of a $30.2 million player option for the 2026-27 season, is it unreasonable to believe the Warriors could be looking to create some breathing room?
So, here we are with the franchise reportedly exploring options for one of its core players. It should be said that additional reports report that the Warriors are looking to offload veteran guard Chris Paul, who has a $30 million non-guaranteed salary for 2024-25 that will become guaranteed on Friday. Last but not least, there is the reported intention to acquire Paul George which brings us to the point i.e., the Warriors have a lot on their plate at the moment. What we can assume by the franchise’s movements, is that the main concern is to improve on a season that ended with a 46-36 record and elimination in the play-in tournament. If you look at it like that, it’s likely Andrew Wiggins is only the beginning.