The Golden State Warriors had to break bank at the NBA trade deadline last Thursday after absorbing Andrew Wiggins' massive five-year, $147 million contract from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But as far as the huge payout goes, Warriors team owner Joe Lacob claimed that money was not an issue when it came to trading for the 24-year-old swingman. Per The Athletics' Tim Kawakami:
“I don’t really think about that number,” Lacob said. “That’s really not the point. The point is that we have a small forward that we absolutely can depend on and fits really well with Steph, Klay, Draymond and our team. That’s what really matters.”
Furthermore, Lacob lamented his belief that Wiggins is a far better fit for the Dubs than D'Angelo Russell.
Andrew Wiggins, meanwhile, is in the third year of the contract he signed in 2017. The 6-foot-7 swingman has an annual average salary of $29,542,010 — which no doubt is considered “superstar money.” The Canadian wing, however, has received flak for failing to live up to the massive contract.
Despite possessing all the physical tools to indeed be a star in this league, Wiggins has struggled with consistency issues since being drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. He was the central piece of the Kevin Love trade that same year and was expected to become a franchise star for the struggling Timberwolves franchise.
Despite teaming up with another top overall pick Karl Anthony-Towns, Wiggins never led Minnesota back to the glory days they had back in the Kevin Garnett-era. Prior to the trade, Wiggins averaged 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 42 games this season for the Timberwolves.
Wiggins made a good first impression in his first game as a Warrior, dropping 24 points, two boards, three dimes and five steals in the Dubs' 125-120 defeat versus the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
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