The Golden State Warriors swung a blockbuster deal ahead of the trade deadline on Wednesday, trading D'Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins, a top-3 protected first-round draft pick and a second-rounder.
The move came across as puzzling to many at first, but the fact that the Warriors were able to nab a potential top-five selection for Russell is pretty impressive.
But of course, the main piece everyone is talking about is Wiggins.
A former No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2014, Wiggins was traded to the Timberwolves that summer for Kevin Love and has been a major disappointment ever since.
Sure, the counting numbers are there. After all, Wiggins is averaging 22.4 points per game this season, marking the third time he has posted over 20 points a night in his six-year NBA career.
However, points per game isn't everything, especially when you own a lifetime true-shooting percentage of 52.1 percent like Wiggins and are also not a very good defender.
In theory, Andrew Wiggins has all of the tools to be a dominant wing. He is freakishly athletic, he is long and he has superb talent. But he has not been able to put it together.
Will that change in Golden State? Is it that all Wiggins really needed was a change of scenery?
It remains to be seen, but the Warriors better hope so, seeing as how Wiggins is in the second year of a five-year, $147.7 million contract that runs through 2023.
Wiggins will obviously eat into the Dubs' cap space, as they are already paying Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green massive salaries, so they are taking a pretty big risk here.
Perhaps Wiggins will fit better in the Bay, as the Warriors employ a run-and-gun style of offense that should suit his strengths in transition, but at the same time, Golden State is also big on shooting the three-ball, which is something that Wiggins has yet to prove he can do consistently.
Yes, playing alongside of two of the greatest shooters to ever step on the hardwood should help, but on the other side of the coin, sometimes, bad shooters stay bad shooters regardless of where they are.
I will say that Wiggins' questionable work ethic will not fly around Green, so he will have no choice but to work his butt off. Or so we think.
Again, Andrew Wiggins is under contract for a while, so there is not much the Warriors can do even if he loafs. He is basically untradeable at this point.
But once in a while, all it takes is a winning environment to turn a player around. No, the Warriors aren't winning this year, but after making five straight finals appearances and winning three titles during that span, there is no doubt that a winning culture has been established in Golden State, one that Wiggins is now a part of.
It will be an interesting dynamic for sure, but if there is any team in the league that can jumpstart Wiggins' career and turn him into a useful player, it's the Warriors.
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