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NBA Rumors: Andrew Wiggins’ Trade Will Require A ‘Superstar’ Veteran In Return

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 17:41 PST, Nov 30, 2016

NBA rumors are swirling that the Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to trade some of their young talent — including budding superstar Andrew Wiggins — in an effort to land a veteran player to help the team win now, multiple media outlets reported.

Bleacher Report‘s Ric Bucher first tweeted the news last week that Minnesota Timberwolves head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau is looking to make a move after his team’s lackluster 5-13 start to the season. Among the assets that a Yahoo! Sports report suggested Tom Thibodeau is willing to part with include Andrew Wiggins, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Ricky Rubio.

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A new report from The Palm Beach Post suggested that the Miami Heat would make good trade partners with the Minnesota Timberwolves as the south Florida team has “several notable assets” the teams could exchange. A potential target of the Miami Heat would be Andrew Wiggins, according to the article.

“[Andrew Wiggins] appears to be ascending toward the superstar tier of NBA players. Any move for Wiggins would likely require a superstar-caliber asset in return.”

The Palm Beach Post suggested that Goran Dragic — a 30-year-old veteran capable of putting up points — could be the veteran Tom Thibodeau seeks in return for Andrew Wiggins. In addition to Goran Dragic, other veterans like James Johnson or Dion Waiters could be included in the deal for Andrew Wiggins, the article indicated.

The reason Andrew Wiggins is such a hot commodity is the athlete has improved his shooting, The Ringer explained. Work this off-season allowed Andrew Wiggins to take his game to the next level, the article detailed.

“We’re now getting a taste of the superstar Wiggins could become… Even if his numbers dip, the improvement is real. Film reveals that he’s corrected the minor mechanical flaws that plagued him over the past three years.”

Indeed, his shooting this season from the three-point line has improved tremendously. Through his first 17 games this season, Andrew Wiggins has shot 39.1 percent from behind the arc, an improvement of nearly nine percentage points from last season. The increased productivity has allowed Andrew Wiggins to boost his scoring average to a career-best 22.9 points per game this season.

His best stretch this young season came right out of the gate. Andrew Wiggins was able to drop in at least 29 points five times during a six-game stretch, including three contests where the guard scored at least 35 points. During that stretch, Andrew Wiggins poured in a career-best 47 points on November 13 against the Los Angeles Lakers, knocking down 14 of his 21 shots in the 125-99 victory.

Andrew Wiggins realizes that his future contract — and potential trade value — will continue to climb as he improves his offensive skills, the guard told NBA‘s Kyle Ratke. It’s a process Andrew Wiggins described as a way to learn more about his game.

“I’m finding myself. I’m finding things I’m good at, things I need to work at. The game’s just slowed down for me a little bit and I’m able to read the defenses and see how they’re playing me.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t the only NBA franchise that is open to trading multiple young players this season. The Washington Wizards have also offered up their budding talent to shake up their roster, the Inquisitr reported recently.

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In addition to Andrew Wiggins, other superstar-caliber players have NBA rumors swirling around them about potential trades. Sacramento Kings center Demarcus Cousins and Milwaukee Bucks big man Greg Monroe are also potentially available for trade, according to multiple media outlets.

Do you believe the NBA rumors suggesting a trade for Andrew Wiggins would require another superstar-caliber player? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Featured Image by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]

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Minnesota Timberwolves Miami Heat Andrew Wiggins Goran Dragic
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