Getty Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors sits on the bench.
Golden State Warriors‘ Andrew Wiggins has returned to the Bay area and joined the team’s practice on Tuesday, March 5, after missing the last four games due to personal reasons.
Kron 4 News’ sports director Jason Dumas shared video footage of Wiggins getting some work in at the Warriors practice facility on X, formerly Twitter.
Andrew Wiggins is back in town. We will get an update on his playing status shortly.
Wiggins will likely start against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, March 6, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, to begin their three-game homestand in four nights followed by a three-game road trip.
The Warriors are coming off a humiliating 52-point blowout loss against the league-best Celtics at Boston on Sunday, March 3 that capped their 3-1 East Coast trip which Wiggins missed.
Wiggins, who was the subject of trade rumors amid his early-season struggles, has regained his rhythm after remaining with the Warriors past the trade deadline.
In his last 8 games since the February 8 trade deadline, Wiggins averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 51.7% from the field and 48.5% from the 3-point line solidifying his return to the starting lineup.
Moses Moody has started in his place during his absence and averaged 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 40% from deep.
Jaylen Brown Felt Disrespected by Warriors’ Defense
Jaylen Brown sparked the Celtics’ breakaway from a tight first quarter with three straight 3s to deal the Warriors a humbling 140-88 blowout loss on Sunday, March 3, at the end of their road trip.
Brown, who entered the contest shooting 34.8% from the deep, was angered by the Warriors’ mocking defense and drained 5 of 10 3-pointers.
“First time it’s ever happened to me,” Brown told reporters of the Warriors defensive strategy to let Draymond Green sag off and kept him wide open. “Honestly, I was a bit surprised. It took a little bit of adjusting and I think we just took advantage of whatever that attempt was and made the best of it.
“If you wanna dare me to shoot, we can do that, too. I thought it was a little disrespectful, but we took advantage of it and we didn’t look back.”
Soon-to-be Free Agent Klay Thompson Linked to 2 East Teams
Demoted swingman Klay Thompson has been linked to two Eastern Conference teams as he enters unrestricted free agency this summer.
“The Warriors seem intent on getting below the luxury tax (or at least the second apron) this offseason. If so, Thompson is looking at a significant pay cut in free agency, which may lead to him looking elsewhere for better offers (perhaps from the Philadelphia 76ers or Orlando Magic),” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote on February 27.
According to Pincus, the Warriors still have a way to re-sign Thompson without reaching the second apron.
“Assume Paul is let go for financial sanity. His $30 million salary (currently non-guaranteed) can be used in trade should the Warriors choose to stay above the second apron (limiting the team to minimum players). Without Paul, Thompson can return in the $20-27 million starting salary range, giving the Warriors the TMLE.
But Golden State may try to duck the tax entirely, which may mean the end of the era of the Splash Brothers—at which point the team could use the NTMLE and still stay below the threshold,” Pincus wrote on March 1.
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Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins Back in Town [WATCH]