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Report: Andrew Wiggins’ agency is why he was traded from Cleveland

By Trisity Miller

Jan 31, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) is guarded by Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) is guarded by Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to ESPN, Andrew Wiggins would still be a Cavalier if he signed with LeBron James’ agency

If you thought the LeBron James-Andrew Wiggins saga has officially ended, think again.

In a radio interview, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed an interesting tidbit in regards to the relationship between the two players and why the latter, Wiggins, was traded: it had something to do with the agent Wiggins chose to represent him.

Here is all of Windhorst said on the Wiggins-James-agency situation in an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio:

"I don’t. I think he’d still be there. LeBron definitely wanted to play with Kevin Love, but remember, Wiggins was not mentioned in the LeBron letter and July 7, Cavs felt like they just keep Wiggins; that they wouldn’t trade him for Love. If Love really wanted to play with Cleveland he could’ve come there next year as a free agent. By July 10 or 11, all of a sudden Wiggins was in the deal so you can draw your own map from there. People can deny it from now until those guys retire but I know exactly what happened. I saw the road map: if Wiggins had signed with LeBron’s agency then Wiggins would’ve been in the letter and Wiggins would’ve been having a relationship with LeBron in the weeks leading up to the draft and it would’ve been a no-brainer."

While Windhorst’s comments should be taken with a grain of salt, this sounds like a scenario that could be perfectly ripped out of the LeBron James playbook. Basketball is his biggest priority, but the soon-to-be Hall of Fame small forward makes it no secret that business is essential to him and one of those that greatly affects how he does business is his agency.

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The biggest example of that? Tristan Thompson’s contract extension talks. With James in town, the odds of Thompson being traded are zilch and the odds Cleveland gives Thompson whatever he demands after hitting the free agency market are close to 100 percent, as the front office wants to keep James in good favors.

All-in-all, it just looks like the cards weren’t in Wiggins’ favor as soon LeBron James agreed to return home. If James wanted to prolong his championship run, the Cavaliers would’ve retained Wiggins as he and Kyrie Irving would’ve been great co-stars to keep James afloat as he enters his mid-30s. Instead, James opted to compete for a championship immediately after leaving the Miami Heat and Kevin Love helps the Cavaliers in that aspect far more than Andrew Wiggins could’ve over the course of the next three years.

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