The Golden State Warriors seem to be turning the corner, finally developing a long absent team identity marked by a starting lineup featuring Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins alongside their dynastic Big Three. The Dubs are 3-2 since Steve Kerr pointedly leaned further into Draymond Green at small-ball five, those losses coming by one point each to the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers in overtime.
As a result, most of the smoke surrounding Golden State suggests the team is content to stand pat at the trade deadline, wringing everything possible out of the current roster over the season's remainder ahead of a potentially transformational summer. But just because the new-look Dubs are playing well amid some much-needed lineup and rotational clarity, though, hardly means rumors will cease entirely leading up to February 8th.
Case in point: The Dallas Mavericks continuing to chase a Wiggins trade, according to Matt Moore of Action Network.
“The other player the Warriors are looking to move is Andrew Wiggins, whose plus-minus splits this season are essentially a horror show. The team with the most interest in Wiggins over the last two weeks, according to sources, is the Dallas Mavericks. Details of talks aren't known.”
Do Warriors actually want to trade Andrew Wiggins?
Wiggins has shaken off career-worst struggles over the first couple months of 2023-24 to re-emerge as an indispensable cog of Golden State's playing style. He's the Warriors' top on-ball defender with Gary Payton II sidelined, and has more reliably provided of late the multi-level scoring punch that made him arguably the team's second-best player during its 2022 title run.
With Payton, Chris Paul and Moses Moody set to soon return from injury, though, Golden State boasts enough depth to potentially make up for Wiggins' absence by committee. The three years and approximately $85 million on his contract makes Wiggins an obvious potential trade candidate for the cash-strapped Dubs, too.
Still, don't be surprised if he remains in the Bay past the trade deadline. Recent strides have made it clear the Warriors aren't quite ready to punt on hopes of contention amid a tumultuous 2023-24 season, and Wiggins' prior struggles and onerous contract ensures they'd be selling low on him to Dallas or any other potential suitor. Why not play out the season and revisit a Wiggins trade come June and July?
“I'm very hopeful and I expect him to be here when the trade deadline passes,” Steve Kerr said of Wiggins on Thursday. “I think he's been a big part of our team over the years… helped us win a title a year and a half ago. Still has a lot of career ahead of him. I'm really hoping Wiggs is here. As I said, I'm fully expect him to be here.”
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