NBA Rumors: Should Warriors Keep Andrew Wiggins Instead Of Trading Him For ‘Fourth Star’?
Before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors engaged in a blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves where they acquired Andrew Wiggins and a future draft pick in exchange for D’Angelo Russell. However, like when Russell first arrived in Golden State, rumors have also immediately started swirling around Wiggins and his future with the Warriors. Though he’s currently establishing an impressive performance in the 2019-20 NBA season and able to fill the huge hole in the Warriors’ wing, there are speculations that the Warriors may consider moving Wiggins again in the 2020 offseason.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, the Warriors have two options this summer if they succeed to land a lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. They could use their own 2020 first-round pick to add another young and promising talent that could help them address some of the positional needs or they could include it in a trade package, together with Wiggins, to acquire an established veteran that complements their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Speaking to several league executives, Bontemps revealed that most of them are expecting the Warriors to use their precious trade assets to acquire their “fourth superstar” next summer. However, there are still some of them who believe that the Warriors may also choose to keep Wiggins and their first-round picks.
“Most league executives expect the Warriors to package their assets in search of a fourth star. However, some believe Golden State wouldn’t mind rolling with Wiggins and a couple of high-ceiling prospects to extend a dynastic run as the championship core ages.”
Though Wiggins somewhat solved the problem in the Warriors’ wing, some people still don’t see him as an ideal fit in Golden State’s system, especially knowing his inconsistent three-point shooting and poor defense. However, one league executive who spoke to Bontemps said that the Warriors coaches are confident that they could “cure” Wiggins.
“Their coaches think they can cure Wiggins,” the league executive said.
“If he’s your fourth-best player, it’s not a bad thing. But he needs to hide, because he can’t do it every night.”
The Warriors have plenty of time to decide whether they should keep Wiggins long-term on their roster or use him as the main trade chip to acquire their fourth superstar next summer. With the Warriors not expected to compete for a playoff spot in the deep Western Conference, they could use the remaining games of the 2019-20 NBA season to work on Wiggins’ game and see if he deserves to be part of their core group or not.
