“Golden State Warriors Grapple with Dilemma: Trading Declining Star Poses Unprecedented Challenge, According to Report.”
The Golden State Warriors are open for business, especially when it comes to former no. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins.
But the problem is, there are no takers, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“Indiana’s well-known interest in Anunoby has also led some rival teams to project the Pacers as a potential landing spot for Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins is seen by some observers as the most likely Warrior to be traded in the wake of Golden State’s 18-21 start. He’s in the first season of a four-year, $109 million deal — which is generally regarded as a quite reasonable contract in today’s NBA marketplace – but the challenge for the Warriors has been creating a market for him after Wiggins’ downturn in production over the past season and a half. Wiggins has started three games this month after moving to a reserve role for 11 games but is shooting a career-worst 29.5% from 3-point range,” Stein wrote in his substack newsletter on January 14.
In their latest attempt to resuscitate Wiggins’ value, Warriors coach Steve Kerr re-inserted him back into the starting lineup.
But after a solid in his first game back in the starting lineup on a January 12 win in Chicago, Wiggins followed it up with another head-scratching game.
Against the Bulls, Wiggins looked like the All-Star who helped the Warriors win the 2022 championship. He finished had a 17-point outing on 8 of 13 shooting with eight assists. Then 24 hours later in Milwaukee, Wiggins only had seven points on 3 of 13 shooting and one assist in a Warriors loss.
Warriors Need to Attach Value to Get Rid of Andrew Wiggins
With Wiggins’s value at its lowest, the Warriors would have to attach a future pick or one of their young players with upside to dump the former no. 1 pick. get rid of him.
“Would [GM Mike] Dunleavy and [owner Joe] Lacob sign off on adding Moses Moody to the deal just to get a team to take Wiggins’ salary? Would it take adding a future first-round pick?” I doubt the Warriors want to subtract talent just to discard Wiggins, but it might come to that,” The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami wrote on January 11.
Wiggins is averaging a career-low across the board: 11.7 points on 41.8% shooting and 29.5% from 3, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists
Draymond Green Returns vs Grizzlies
Draymond Green finally makes his comeback from his indefinite suspension on Monday, January 15, against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Before his much-anticipated return, Kerr warned Green that this would be his final chance.
“I think Draymond knows his career is on the line. It really is,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” on January 9. “Based on what’s happened over the last year, based on the recent suspension, based on everything that’s gone on — I think he recognizes that it is different this time. This wasn’t a suspension for getting too many technicals. This wasn’t a suspension for one Flagrant foul. This was different.
“This really put him on notice. He’s put himself on notice. That’s what makes this different. And that’s why his response has to be what it’s got to be.”
The Warriors went 8-8 since Green’s indefinite suspension.