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Golden State Warriors small forward Andrew Wiggins. Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Mavericks should pass on deal for former All-Star Andrew Wiggins

By Reece Johnston | Last updated 1/17/24

Per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Dallas Mavericks have been linked in trade talks for Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins. Dallas (24-17) must improve to contend in the hyper-competitive Western Conference, but trading for the struggling Wiggins would carry plenty of risk.

Wiggins (11.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG) has played poorly this season, struggling with his efficiency (42.2% shooting from the field, 29.6% from deep).

Normally a stout defender, Wiggins has also struggled on defense, ranking last on the Warriors in defensive rating (122.1) among regular rotation players. (For a specific player, defensive rating is the number of points allowed per 100 possessions when that player is on the floor.)

Wiggins' struggles led to Warriors coach Steve Kerr benching the forward. "It felt like we needed a shift," he said about the move, per NBC Sports Bay Area.

The primary concern for acquiring Wiggins is his big contract. Per Spotrac, Wiggins has three years left on his deal after this season — including a player option in 2026-27 — for an average of $27.25M per year.

By taking on Wiggins and his contract, Dallas would be betting he could return to the form he showed during Golden State's championship run in 2022. During the playoffs, Wiggins averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds.

If Dallas were to trade for Wiggins and not see improvement from the forward, the Mavericks would find it difficult to build a championship roster around Luka Doncic.

The good version of Wiggins would fit well with Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but it remains to be seen whether the 28-year-old Wiggins can reach that level again.

Another potential target for the Mavericks mentioned by Fischer was Pascal Siakam, but Toronto dealt the All-Star forward to Indiana on Wednesday.

Pascal Siakam is joining Tyrese Haliburton with the Pacers pic.twitter.com/JirRSYzHYq
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 17, 2024

The two other players linked to Dallas, per Fischer, are forwards P.J. Washington and Dorian Finney-Smith. Neither has Wiggins' ceiling, but both are safer trade options for Dallas.

Washington (12.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG), who's only 25, has flashed potential but has been unable to find consistency with the terrible Charlotte Hornets (8-29).

Finney-Smith (9.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 40.4 3P%) is a good three-and-defense player for the struggling Brooklyn Nets (16-23). He played six-plus seasons for the Mavericks, who sent him to Brooklyn in the deal to acquire Irving in February 2023.

Finney-Smith was key to the Mavericks reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2022, averaging 11.7 points and shooting 42.6% from three.

While Wiggins has shown he can contribute to a championship-caliber team, Dallas would be better off reuniting with a familiar face like Finney-Smith or trading for a superstar to join Doncic and Irving.

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