Golden State Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins is slated to remain in the Bay Area whenever the 2020-21 NBA season begins.
According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors did not intend to use Wiggins as a future trade piece when they acquired him at February’s trade deadline. A six-year veteran, Wiggins is set to be the Warriors’ starting small forward next season.
Wiggins has had a solid start to his career with the Warriors. He has scored 19.4 points per game and shot 45.7% from the field in 12 games with the team.
Here is what Slater wrote in his report on Wiggins’ future status with Golden State:
“But, ask anyone in the organization — during their private or public moments — they got Wiggins with the expectation that he’ll be their starting small forward next season, not just a matching contract to flip (like they did with Russell). They are aggressive but rational.”
The tidbit was part of a larger exploration of what the Warriors’ 2021 offseason could look like. Per a recent report from Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Warriors have been “preparing for years” to acquire Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo is the big prize of the league’s 2021 free agency period. But the potential deal has a plethora of factors. The Warriors would be hard-pressed salary cap-wise to sign Antetokounmpo as a free agent in 2021.
Per Slater, they’ve committed a combined $139.4 million to Wiggins, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green for the 2021-22 season — that would be Antetokounmpo’s first year with Golden State if he signed in the Bay Area.
A sign-and-trade would be necessary, but that would require the Bucks to be willing to engage.
Even if the Bucks decided to go through with it, the Warriors would still have to add a player like Wiggins to match his salary per Slater.
The reigning MVP, Antetokounmpo, is significantly better than Wiggins. Before this season was suspended, Antetokounmpo was averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game and a career-high 13.7 rebounds.
Still, the bevy of moving parts surrounding this potential blockbuster signing would have to fall in place perfectly.
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