Amid his latest hiatus from action, the future of Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins is shrouded in uncertainty. While head coach Steve Kerr expects Wiggs back at some point before the end of the season, some believe that Wiggins will never play for the Warriors again.
"I think it's over," said Dan Dibley on 95.7 The Game. "I think he will never be a Warrior again. I think the year is over. I think they get to the offseason and find a way to part ways."
Earlier this week, the Warriors announced the indefinite absence of Wiggins due to a "personal family matter" and no further details have been provided. At around the same time last season, Wiggins missed about a month of time for the same reason, and by the time he returned his performance had fallen off a cliff.
This time, it's anyone's guess how long Wiggs will be out but there is a growing belief around the league that he will not be back at all before the end of the season. So with two long absences in the span of a year, there are some real concerns about Andrew Wiggins' focus on the game and his availability moving forward.
Now, it's gotten to a point where his very future with the Warriors hangs in the balance as they aim to re-tool the roster around Steph Curry this summer. Even before this extended time off, Wiggins was struggling to make himself useful for the Warriors and he was mixed up in all kinds of rumors leading up to February's deadline.
The End Of An Era For The Golden State Warriors
This season has been one of transition for Golden State, Coming into it, Steph, Klay, and Draymond Green were the three guys leading the way and the Warriors centered everything around their performance on the court.
But when Thompson struggled to hit shots and Draymond was still in the dog house for his violent outbursts, things turned ugly for the 4x champions. The Warriors lost major ground in the standings and they hit rock bottom before finally leaning on a new core to carry them into the future.
Today, the Warriors have found a formula that works with Klay Thompson off the bench and Jonathan Kuminga starting as the secondary scorer behind Steph.
But if the Warriors are to survive through four playoff rounds, they'll need Andrew Wiggins to wake up and play up to his capabilities. He was a borderline All-Star during their title run a few years ago and he has shown flashes here and there that he can be that player again. If Wiggins can even be half as good as he used to be, it might just be enough to take the Warriors deep into the postseason.
For now, however, it seems Wiggins is headed for the trade block and the location of his next destination is likely to be a major storyline all summer long. If he really has played his final game for the Warriors, then it's an ending nobody saw coming after reaching such great heights back in 2021.
More must-reads: