Before Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins suffered a foot injury on February 3, he was drawing trade interest amid his resurgent play since Draymond Green returned.
According to Action Network’s Matt Moore, the Dallas Mavericks, who are sitting 8th in the Western Conference with a 26-23 record entering February 5 games, were Wiggins’ most serious suitor.
“The other player the Warriors are looking to move is Andrew Wiggins, whose plus-minus splits this season are essentially a horror show. The team with the most interest in Wiggins over the last two weeks, according to sources, is the Dallas Mavericks. Details of talks aren’t known.
Wiggins would provide Dallas with a more stable small forward option who can also play power forward, as free agency acquisition Grant Williams has been disappointing,” Moore wrote on February 3.
The Warriors beat the Mavericks in five games in the Western Conference Finals during their 2022 NBA title run.
The Draymond Green Effect
Before scoring just 11 points over his last 6 quarters, Wiggins had strung up a solid 5-game stretch since Green rejoined the Warriors from his second suspension.
In the second half of January, Wiggins averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. His shooting efficiency went up to 61.1% from the field and 43.8% from the 3-point line. The infamous Wiggins-Jonathan Kuminga tandem, which struggled earlier in the season, dramatically improved with Green.
“Draymond really changed things with his return because he connects those guys at both ends of the floor,” Kerr told reporters after the Warriors’ 119-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on January 30. “Just with his communication defensively and the way he helps get us organized offensively. Great to see Wiggs and JK playing so well, and playing well together. It’s fun. You can see the team is shifting a little bit with the look, and how we’re playing and who we’re playing.”
The Wiggins-Kuminga-Green trio is plus-11.1 with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and plus-36.3 with Brandin Podziemski in Thompson’s place, per Cleaning The Glass.
The former no. 1 pick still has $85 million left in his $109 million, 4-year deal, after this season.
Nothing Appealing to Warriors in Andrew Wiggins Trade Talks
Before Moore’s latest intel on Wiggins, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported that the Warriors have indeed gauged Wiggins’ trade market. However, no deal has appealed to them.
“Wiggins profiles as the most likely Warrior to be dealt. He’s on the first season of a four-year, $109 million extension. The Warriors have fielded player-for-player offers for Wiggins, according to team and league sources. They wouldn’t have to attach a draft pick to get off his deal.
But nothing has made them jump. Wiggins has upped his production and activity lately. He’s back in their starting and closing lineup, able finally to play next to Kuminga (a huge factor in his future) because of Green’s return as the starting center,” Slater wrote on January 30.
Moses Moody Returns
The timing of Wiggins’ injury could provide an opportunity for the returning Moses Moody.
The Warriors will have Moody back in the active lineup when they continue their 5-game road trip in Brooklyn this Monday, February 5.
Moody returns to the lineup after missing the Warriors’ last 9 games with a calf strain. Before he went down with the injury, Moody was heating up, scoring back-to-back 21 points against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Toronto Raptors.
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Warriors’ Former All-Star Wing Draws ‘Most Interest’ From West Rival: Report