The Golden State Warriors are one win away from returning to the NBA Finals after getting out to a 3-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. After a two-year drought for the Warriors, the team looks like full-fledged contenders once again, and head coach Steve Kerr is crediting a surprising individual for much of the team's success. Via Anthony Slater, Kerr revealed that the Andrew Wiggins trade was one of the main components in Golden State's return to dominance.

“I think the Wiggins trade is the key to all of this,” said Kerr. “Our whole wing core was wiped out, defensively. So, the Wiggins trade allowed us to start to rebuild that wing defense. Wiggs has just been so good. He's gotten so much better over the past few years, and he's a perfect fit next to our guys. I don't know where we'd be without him defensively, with his work on Luka [Doncic] and every other top wing that [the Warriors] have to face. He's just been brilliant, so, I think that move was kind of they that Bob [Myers] and the front office made to get us back to having a playoff roster.”

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Kerr was overflowing with praise for the former No. 1 overall pick, whom the Warriors acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2020. It was the perfect move for both parties, as Wiggins became a key piece on a contending team while the Warriors were able to add some much-needed defensive production on the wing.

The Warriors have been riddled by injuries over the past few years, so having Wiggins available to hold it down on the wing, both offensively and defensively, has been huge. Players such as Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have dealt with injury woes, so the addition of Wiggins has been critical.

Kerr couldn't speak highly enough of the 27-year-old, who has developed into a completely different player since joining the Warriors and become a staple in their rotation.