A very disappointing play-in tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings gives the Golden State Warriors a head start on what will be an extremely important and interesting offseason for the NBA’s most recent dynasty. The Warriors have won four championships since 2015, but their struggles have been one of the main talking points of the 2023-24 season. More specifically, Andrew Wiggins’ future will be a central topic of discussion with offseason trade talks on the horizon.
This season was not kind to Wiggins, as the former first overall pick recorded career lows in points (13.2), assists (1.7), steals (0.6), and field goals made per game (5.0). Whether or not the Warriors look to move Wiggins in the offseason after hearing his name come up in trade deadline rumors could set the stage for a plethora of moves that this franchise will make to maximize the remainder of Stephen Curry’s career.
Although he was an essential part of their championship core just a couple of seasons ago, the Warriors now face the harsh reality of having to choose what moves to make in order to set themselves up for immediate success.
Many of the Warriors players spoke to the media on Wednesday following their defeat in Sacramento on Tuesday night. Wiggins, who was asked about what the future holds heading into the offseason, was very straight-forward in terms of his mindset, knowing that he will be involved in potential trade talks.
“I just… I take care of what I can take care of. It’s out of my control. I don’t worry about it,” Wiggins told reporters via 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. “I just work hard, train hard, and do what I can do.”
After winning the 2022 NBA Finals, the Warriors rewarded Wiggins with a four-year, $109 million contract extension that began this season. Set to make $26.2 million during the 2024-25 season, Wiggins’ contract will increase in value by roughly $2 million each year through the 2026-27 season. He does own a $30.1 million player option in the final year of this extension.
Golden State owns one of the highest payrolls in the league. With Klay Thompson hitting free agency and the league’s new second apron tax rules possibly impacting this organization, the Warriors will have to have key offseason conversations about how they are spending funds around Curry. Due to his struggles, Wiggins will surely be a player the Warriors consider moving on from.
Andrew Wiggins’ 2023-24 season
Basically, everyone other than Steph Curry went through their fair share of struggles this season. Thompson had a bad season for his standards. Draymond Green dealt with his behavioral and suspension problems. And Wiggins’ decline as a secondary offensive weapon was the icing on the cake for the Warriors’ eventual loss in the play-in tournament.
The 29-year-old forward discussed his viewpoint on the 2023-24 season, outlining that he did not have a good season whatsoever.
“My season was not too good, not great. I feel like I started picking it up the second half of the season, but the first half wasn’t too good,” Wiggins said, via Warriors on NBCS. “Team-wise, I feel like we were really good the second half of the season. We were figuring stuff out, but it’s unfortunate that it had to end this way.”
All options are on the table for the Warriors as they enter the offseason. Nobody, other than Curry, is safe from the trade block, and owner Joe Lacob is going to pull the trigger on any move he believes will set the organization up for championship success. Trading Wiggins just a few years after he played an instrumental part in their title run would be disappointing, but potentially a move that is necessary for the betterment of the Warriors as a whole.
Wiggins has spent four straight full seasons with the Warriors since being traded there during the 2019-20 season. In 264 games with Golden State, Wiggins has averaged 16.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 38.1 percent from three-point range.
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