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The Golden State Warriors would be getting the short end of the stick by trading Andrew Wiggins away for Pascal Siakam, says NBA commentator Bill Simmons.
For months, the Warriors have been rumored to be interested in the Toronto Raptors big man, and Wiggins is seen as a key part of the package that it would take to land him. But Simmons said this week that Golden State would likely end up overpaying for what would be a marginal roster upgrade, and should instead hold onto Wiggins while building for the future.
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Warriors Should Hold Onto Andrew Wiggins
Simmons spoke out about the trade rumors this week in a discussion with Ryen Russillo, saying the Warriors have a chance to bring back a strong squad last year without trading for Siakam. He noted that the hypothetical package that insiders believe the Warriors would need in order to land Siakam — which includes Wiggins and the No. 7 and No. 14 picks in the upcoming NBA Draft — would be too much.
“I don’t think I would. I don’t think the upgrade from Wiggins to Siakam is worth two more rotation guys, because I think I can get two really good guys at seven and 14,” Simmons said of the proposal, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think I could get two guys who could play for me next year.”
There has been rampant speculation about what path the Warriors will take in 2021 and beyond, whether the team will continue investing in the development of young center James Wiseman along with whatever work it would need to bring along multiple lottery picks or intead use those assets to trade for a player who could bring a more immediate impact. Simmons believes that there aren’t many adjustments needed for the Warriors to turn in a more competitive team next season after two straight years without playoffs.
“I want the Warriors to keep Wiseman, keep Wiggins, take seven, take 14, bring Klay [Thompson] back, sign-and-trade [Kelly] Oubre for something, and they’ll have nine guys next year that can play basketball,” he said.
Warriors Speak Out on Wiggins
Despite the rampant reports that Wiggins could be out the door, Golden State’s front office has thrown some cold water on the rumors. Warriors executive vice president of basketball operations Kirk Lacob appeared on the Dubs Talk podcast, saying it’s simple to speculate about trades but much harder to pull off in real life. He also offered an endorsement of Wiggins, saying the Warriors were very intentional when they added him to the roster and still see him as a key part of the team’s future.
“Andrew had a really good year for us last year. He is super happy here, the coaching staff loves him, the players love him. He was great,” Lacob said. “We traded for him for a reason, he’s here, we love what he’s about. I understand why people throw his name into things, he’s the new guy and he wasn’t part of the championship core. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be part of the future.”
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