How Aaron Wiggins Can Continue To Improve

OKC Thunder forward Aaron Wiggins is no stranger to exceeding expectations.

The No. 55 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft crafted himself a place in the rotation of the NBA champions. He is already one of the biggest success stories of the Thunder's rebuild and he has even more in store.

The Thunder signed Wiggins to a two-way contract before that season.

Following his signing, Wiggins quickly showed what he can do when he gets on the floor. He earned a conversion of his contract from a two-way to a full deal.

The Maryland product played 50 games with the Thunder in his rookie season, starting 35, and averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He shot 46.3% from the field but only 30.4% from three-point range on 2.8 attempts a night.

Despite starting on a two-way deal, Wiggins only played six games with the OKC Blue in his rookie season, showing the Thunder believed in him from the beginning. He proved their beliefs with his play being beyond that of a normal second-round rookie.

Wiggins would quickly become a fan favorite due to his play and personality. He did save basketball after all.

He would quickly improve as a defender and three-point shooter throughout the next two seasons as the Thunder jumped from a rebuilding team to a playoff and even a finals contender. Wiggins's three-point shot coincidentally improved the season OKC hired Chip Engelland to be its shooting coach, being one of the many players aided by the hiring.

The Thunder rewarded Wiggins with a five-year, $47 million contract during the 2024 offseason following a season in which Wiggins shot 49.2% from three on 1.6 attempts per game. After playing 15.7 minutes a night the season before this extension, it was obvious an increase in role was on the horizon.

In 2024-25, Wiggins started his highest total of games since his rookie year with 26 starts, this time, however, on a contender. He averaged 22.9 minutes per game, which was also his highest mark since his rookie season.

With the increase in role, Wiggins averaged 12.0 points per game while shooting 48.8% from the field on 9.6 attempts per game and 38.3% from three on 4.5 attempts per game. Both attempt marks are career-highs.

Another increase in role could happen this season, and Wiggins is more than ready for it.

Wiggins showed last season that he is a strong microwave scorer in key moments, with multiple big games throughout the Thunder's playoff run, including his 24-point performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. No matter what point of the season it is, if you call on his name, he will show up.

His slick handle makes it impossible for teams to put a weaker point-of-attack defender on him, as Wiggins is capable of taking any player one-on-one.

Wiggins is also an extremely clever cutter that knows the perfect time to make a move for an open look in the paint. He adds a whole other dimension to an offense when on the floor.

His main flaw, however, is his point-of-attack defense. Wiggins is a strong team defender who tends to find ways to make an impact off the ball, but sometimes he gets caught without a position to guard routinely, depending on the matchup.

With just a few improvements on defense, it would be impossible for the Thunder to play him routinely as one of the first three off the bench and in certain spot starts.

With his stellar shooting, offensive IQ and slick handle, Wiggins will be crucial to the Thunder's success this season and will be even more important with slight improvements on the defensive end.