NBA rumors: Andrew Wiggins could be the one the Warriors trade 

According to Marc Stein, there is a growing belief around the league that the Golden State Warriors are open to trading Andrew Wiggins, partly due to his inability to share the court with Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors have limped to an 11-17 record since starting the season 6-2, and sit at 17-19.

With Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level and Draymond Green set to return from suspension, the Warriors appear to be a player away from recapturing their contender status, and moving on from Wiggins could be addition by subtraction. 

Andrew Wiggins time with the Warriors could be over

Wiggins has been one of the worst players in the NBA this season. His negative-5.9 Box Plus-Minus is the fourth worst in the league among qualified players, and the Warriors have been outscored by 7.7 points per 100 possessions with him on the court. Wiggins has also been unable to share the floor with third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, who has been agitating for more consistent playing time. 

With Kuminga and Wiggins on the court, the Warriors have been outscored by 20.65 points per 100 possessions, but with Kuminga on the court and no Wiggins, the Warriors have a plus-9.07 net rating. Kuminga has shown he’s capable of handling a more prominent role, but with Wiggins acting as his kryptonite, it has been hard for the Warriors to find him enough minutes. 

While Wiggins has been putrid this season, he was a highly effective 3-and-D wing over his previous two seasons. He’s set to make $24.3 million this season but will see his salary rise to $26.2 million in 2024-25 and $28.2 million in 2025-26 before a $30.1 million player option in 2026-27. The market for a player with Wiggins’ skillset is usually robust, but his total collapse this season makes him a distressed asset. 

The Warriors asset problem

The Warriors owe their 2024 first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers via the Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics but control all of their picks out to 2029. They owe a 2030 top-20 protected first to the Washington Wizards. However, the 2024 pick they owe is protected through 2026, meaning they can only trade their 2028 first-round pick unless they augment the protections on the 2024 first they owe to the Blazers. 

If the Warriors want to swing a massive trade instead of just dumping Wiggins’ salary, they’ll have to open up more picks. While the organization might be interested in moving Wiggins, they may have a hard time finding a taker who can also offer them something of value.