Warriors Rumors: Andrew Wiggins’ Contract Isn’t ‘Major Barrier’ to Exploring Trade

zach bacharContributor IDecember 29, 2023

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Andrew Wiggins’ future with the Golden State Warriors is unclear and his recent contract extension isn’t enough to stop the team’s front office from monitoring potential trade opportunities, according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.

“Though I’ve said in the past that the Warriors might be reluctant to trade Wiggins so soon after he signed a relatively bargain-rate contract extension specifically so he could remain with this team, I’ve since heard that this would not be a major barrier for the Warriors to explore Wiggins’ trade market.”

He signed a four-year contract with the team worth roughly $109 million in Oct. 2022, which includes a $30 million player option for the 2026-27 season (per Spotrac).

Kawakami also noted that the emergence of Jonathan Kuminga could play a part in Wiggins’ future with the organization, as the two forwards likely wouldn’t be able to share the court together in the starting lineup due to spacing limitations.

In 30 games, Kuminga has averaged a career-high 12.4 points in just 21.7 minutes per game, connecting on 50.2 percent of his field goals. He’s currently hitting just 29.6 percent of his triples, although he was a 35.3 percent shooter from three for his career heading into the season so there’s a high likelihood that his accuracy from behind the arc will improve throughout the year.

NBA @NBAKUMINGA SOARS FOR THE PUTBACK POSTER 😤

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Wiggins has struggled mightily on both ends of the court, owning the second-worst net rating among the players in head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation (per NBA.com). He’s scoring just 12.6 points per game, the lowest average of his career. His 29.9 percent shooting from behind the arc also represents his worst mark since he entered the league in 2014.

His presence as an elite two-way wing alongside the Warriors’ star-studded backcourt helped propel the franchise to a championship in 2022, although he’s taken a step back this season. ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported on Nov. 28 that Wiggins wasn’t in shape to begin the preseason and “his lack of physical conditioning annoyed some within the organization.”

The Warriors are sitting at 15-16 and have been defeated their past two games, owning the 11th seed in the Western Conference. If the losses continue to pile up while Wiggins struggles, a trade could be on the horizon.