NBA rumors: Andrew Wiggins takes important step towards return to Warriors

Andrew Wiggins has been noticeably absence from the Warriors lineup while dealing with a personal matter. Now he’s reportedly back in town.

The Warriors have been playing without key championship contributor Andrew Wiggins since Feb. 13, when he last appeared against the Wizards.

The forward has been tending to an apparently serious personal issue, one that has been the subject of much speculation to the disgust of Wiggins’ Warriors teammates.

The message from the team has been simple: They support Wiggins and will get him back when he is able to return. At the same time, the prospect of a return has been shrouded in mystery and vagueness.

Then on Friday, the first real sign that Wiggins could come back before the season is over emerged.

NBA rumors: Andrew Wiggins is back in the Bay Area

Wiggins, who has been out of town for much of his absence, is back in the Bay Area, Jason Dumas of KRON4 reported.

While returning to the Bay Area doesn’t mean Wiggins is close to a return, it suggests he’s closer to one than if he was staying away.

It’s not much, but it’s a nugget of hope as the playoffs near.

The Warriors just welcomed back another piece of their title run last year with Gary Payton II finally making his debut after a trade brought him back from Portland.

Now Golden State is trying to avoid falling into the play-in tournament. As of Friday afternoon, they sat sixth in the Western Conference and one game ahead of the seventh place New Orleans Pelicans.

Before stepping away, Wiggins was averaging 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals this season.

Obviously, the most important thing here is Wiggins being okay. Seeing him back on the court would be the ultimate sign of that.

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