Andrew Wiggins‘ first game with the Warriors may have eased the doubts from those who wonder if he will be a good fit for the organization, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Acquired Thursday in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Wiggins posted 24 points and five steals Saturday night. Coming to Golden State gives him a chance to change the arc of his career after five-and-a-half seasons with the Timberwolves.
“We lost a lot in Minnesota,” Wiggins said. “So coming here, being part of a winning culture, it’s different. Losing’s never fun. Being here, you can tell by everyone’s attitude, everyone’s approach, everything that’s everywhere, they’re winners. That’s something I’ve wanted to be my whole career.”
Slater points out that one of the benefits of making the Russell deal now instead of hoping for a better return this summer is that Wiggins has 30 games to adjust to the Warriors’ style of play. Ideally, he will evolve into a new version of Harrison Barnes, who was able to play power forward in brief stretches next to Draymond Green at center.
“A huge part of this trade is we know Andrew is a better positional fit for us than D’Angelo was,” coach Steve Kerr said. “… To be able to get a valuable wing player is not easy. There’s very few of them in the draft according to scouts and very few of them available in free agency. Wings are hard to come by. Just by bringing in a positional fit, a guy who has a lot of talent, I think the move makes sense.”
There’s more Warriors news this morning:
- Stephen Curry confirmed on last night’s broadcast that he’s targeting the first week of March to return from his broken hand (video from NBA.com). Curry played just four games before suffering the injury in late October. He called his rehab “a work in progress.”
- Marquese Chriss gave himself flexibility by signing for two years rather than three, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Chris will be just 24 years old when he becomes a free agent in 2021.
- After reshaping the roster at the trade deadline, general manager Bob Myers talked about the importance of getting under the luxury tax line for this season (video link from Slater). “To see the numbers of being a repeater the level we would’ve been, the numbers got pretty high,” Myers said. “If we would’ve drafted in top five … the (taxpayer mid-level exception) … the traded player exception, all of a sudden you’re talking high 200 (millions).”
Warriors will trade the farm if they have the opportunity to get Giannis. Then they will have the best player in the league (Giannis) for rest of the decade and the best team again. Period
Says period, doesn’t finish with a period.
Ewe aar co-wrecked
Give it up Giannis is not going any where. He is on a great team so why would he want to leave? this is not the Durant situation where a player was unhappy on his team.
If Giannis doesn’t win a title this year due to the unnecessary trade of Brogdon, we have all seen what happens when a KD-type joins GSW, Giannis knows this. He also is very good friends with all the Dubs core.
All of these “He’s going nowhere” takes sound IDENTICAL to the ones said about KD and OKC. KD was not noted as being “unhappy” either. He was, but at the time, OKC fans were certain there was 0% chance of him leaving, much like what people are saying about Giannis now.
Main difference is that kd had problems with russell being a ball hog. So far outside of winning that been giannis only complaint with bucks. So far the look like a lock to get to finals for the next 2/3 years. The gsw for giannis is over blown he could go to any of the 31 teams would love to have him.
There’s only 29 other teams in the league though. But I am sure that any team in the world would take him.
Strike is a magnet for errors.
It was widely speculated for years that KD wanted more passes and status than what he got from Westbrook & OKC. It was a running joke on sites like this.
Paraphrasing OKC fans is useless because posters here come from all over and are generally not as emotionally involved as a capslock user.
Also the Brogdon trade was not “unnecessary”… Not everyone on the Bucks could be controlled.
I don’t think Giannis is all that upset with Brogdon’s departure. If he is he has a funny way of showing it.
He is on a great team because he makes said team great. Put him on any team and that team becomes really, really good.
Curry and Klay for Giannis?
I am tired of all the NBA networks trying so hard to praise LeBron and the lakers. They did not look good last night. They barely beat a warriors team full of G league players and rookies.
Commentators were dogging the Lakers all night, as most national broadcasters do during their games. Try watching some.
Oh please it was a big love fest on the lakers last night. No way is LeBron a top 3 MVP this year. Of course they are trying to put him ahead of other players. The lakers did not play very well last night. Lots of turn over and almost lost to a heavy under maned last place team. It should not have been a close game at all. Lakers are not as good as their record. Once they play a playoff teams they look very vulnerable.
Cry some more. Clippers got blpwn out by the Timberwolves but sure lets cherrypick how the Lakers looked even though they won.
TV does gush too much over whatever they’re trying to sell. It just gets to be too much over a 2-3 hour broadcast. I don’t think what LAL & Lebron got was unusual though except that AD can be overlooked.
Lebron did not appear to call for a penetration play for himself until the very end, but at least I didn’t hear this time that he needs to be more involved.
They’d have to trade the farm. If I’m Milwaukee, the conversation starts at Anthony Davis/Paul George level. So I’d think Wiggins, Chriss and at LEAST 4 1st round picks. I’m not even sure that’s enough unless a deal was done before this year’s draft, or including this year’s high picked player as part of the return.
It’s scary how that deal is pretty feasible, and GSW still have many trade exemptions to get back guys like Burks, Iggy and GR3.
Feasible as in the bucks would never do that feasible or feasible as in delusional fan supporting lopsided trades for his tesm?
4 firsts that would being towards the back of the draft are worthless. Those picks would have to come after giannis deal with warriors would expire or you are not getting much in return. Next 2 drafts are thin. 2023 is when the double draft with start when emoni bates is present and high schoolers can jump straight to nba. Gonna be high level talent for 1st 10 picks.
Actually, it is 2021. That’s why Myers demanded a first in next years draft.
Nah, the trade package would have to start with Curry or Klay if I’m the Bucks. There’s no way they’d be able to sign him with Curry/Klay/Green/Wiggins making what they make and I doubt anyone takes Wiggins even with a 1st. Then you’d still have C/K/G’s contracts to prevent you.
I wouldn’t want Wiggins but if I had to I’d have to and those 1sts are basically high 2nds.
Any Warriors-trading-Curry posts on here should be and instant an IP ban.
I love how fans think reality = what they want out of a trade. Literally never happens. Wiggins and 4 1sts and maybe a couple other picks/youngsters gets that trade done whether you like it or not!
Trading Curry for Giannis would be a brilliant move for GS.
A Giannis-trade package is already foolish just by the imagining.
Curry being traded is just as dumb as Giannis being traded for Wiggins and the last pick of 4 out of the next 8 drafts (assuming GS still has all of theirs).
Chriss was smart to gamble on himself and make himself available during the 2021 offseason.
While he may not be anyone’s first-tier target, Chris’s may be able to cash in as part of some team’s Plan B or Plan C.
So someone will overpay him in 2021 and regret it later?
Rockets 5th best team in the West?
Chriss will win a ring before Harden..let that sink in
So will the Warriors have bird rights to Chris?
They’ll have Early Bird rights if he plays out the full two years. link to hoopsrumors.com
*Chriss
Why would the Warriors want to trade 4 1sts for Giannis when they are looking to get younger?