Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has been an integral player during the club’s 2022 NBA Finals run, prompting Zach Lowe of ESPN to take a deep dive revisiting Golden State’s acquisition of the 27-year-old – who made his first All-Star team this year – and exploring what retaining Wiggins could cost the club going forward.
After former Warriors All-Star Kevin Durant decided to join the Nets during the 2019 offseason, Golden State team president Bob Myers convinced Durant and Brooklyn to agree to a double sign-and-trade that would send out the two-time Finals MVP and a future Warriors draft pick in exchange for 2019 All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell. Golden State then sent Russell to the Timberwolves at the 2020 trade deadline. In the deal, the Warriors received Wiggins and a top-three protected first-round draft pick, which eventually was used to select rookie small forward Jonathan Kuminga in 2021.
Wiggins has been a solid two-way player in the postseason, and Lowe notes that his defense on Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic and now Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum has been instrumental for Golden State. It took Wiggins some time to fit into the Warriors’ switch-heavy offensive scheme and get comfortable with more off-ball movement than he was used to while with Minnesota.
“In this system, you have to move a lot,” Wiggins said. “A lot of the positions are almost interchangeable.”
After this season, Wiggins has one year left and $33.6MM on the hefty rookie scale contract extension he signed with the Timberwolves. Lowe notes that breakout Warriors guard Jordan Poole is eligible for a contract extension this season. Veterans Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will become unrestricted free agents in 2024, but Green has a player option for the 2023/24 season. The team will also have to make determinations on free agent role players Gary Payton II and starting center Kevon Looney this summer. Lowe wonders if the team will ultimately decide to pick between Wiggins and Poole soon, or between Wiggins and the starrier veterans Thompson and Green later. The club payroll, including salary and luxury tax penalties, could get as high as $475MM if everyone is retained, Lowe notes.
There’s more out of San Francisco:
- Warriors veteran forward Andre Iguodala, who sat during the team’s 107-88 Game 2 victory due to right knee swelling, remains questionable for Game 3 on Wednesday with left knee soreness, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The 38-year-old, who was the 2015 Finals MVP for the Warriors, scored seven points and dished out three assists across 12 minutes of action in Game 1.
- Prior to the start of his eventful 2021/22 season with the Warriors, reserve guard Gary Payton II contemplated joining the team as a video coordinator, per Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter video link). “They were telling me my chances were kind of low of making the team… they had a video coordinating job open, and I was trying to… ask for an interview for that job just to stay around this team,” Payton told Andrews. “They cut me and next step was to go back to the [G League] or stay here and be close to the team… Next thing you know I get a call saying, ‘You’re the 15th man.'” Payton, currently on a one-year, $1.9MM contract with Golden State, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and will certainly not have to worry about a contingency video coordinator gig in the immediate future. The 29-year-old journeyman finally emerged as a full-time rotation player during his second season with Golden State, averaging 17.6 MPG across 71 contests. His modest counting stats of 7.1 PPG, 3.5 APG and 1.4 SPG belie his on-court impact — he has established himself as one of the team’s top wing defenders.
- Warriors wing Klay Thompson has scored just 26 points on 10-of-33 shooting from the field across his first two NBA Finals games against the Celtics, with swingman Jaylen Brown serving as his main defender. Anthony Slater of The Athletic wonders how much of Thompson’s shooting woes are the result of the Celtics’ excellent perimeter defense, and how much is merely a product of a shooting slump.
Well it’s actually anybody’s guess as to what happens in game 3. I’m going to stick with my assertion that the Warriors age Creeping upward conditions their mind toward realizing they don’t have many more shots at this level. They won’t let this opportunity slip by.
The Celtics will be good next year and the year after.., they’re so loaded. Warriors have to cash in now and I think they realize the intensity of the Celtics must be matched for 48 minutes. The Warriors previously could cruise and then get hot the last three minutes and pull out a win. Not against these Celtics.
I will go as far as to say the Warriors will win BOTH games in Boston. The Celtics will will win game 5 in San Francisco and then the Warriors will win the series in six or seven.
One thing for certain, Klay better get going because there’s too much unreasonable pressure on Jordan Poole to do what he may not be capable of doing several games in a row. Klay needs to show up, and in a hurry.
I have been bitchy towards you the past. My reason for doing that is that nobody knows what is going to happen. I have a hatred of Stephen A Smith and Mickey Mouse Club. He gets paid by the company Walt Disney started. I have a hatred of all sports pundits. Why should we listen to any of them? But, people keep listening to them.
Yeah but at least he’s a tried and true, classic, run of the mill Warriors/Red Sox fan. You can’t really knock that.
SFGiants74, I hear you and I’m the worst at throwing darts so you’re not alone. I just like having fun making Sports predictions even though I’m not good at it. Especially when it comes to college guys, I need to stop casting my lot in that category.
But with the Warriors I think I have a decent grasp at how they operate so it’s fun to have a firm, committed, specific take and then you look like a genius when you’re right.
Mostly I’m wrong but that’s okay too. My opinion is worth what you paid for it, LOL. Keep up the good work, I enjoy what you write and you’re a passionate, knowledgeable Dubs fan like the rest of us. Well maybe except for A’sfaninLexington. (I know it’s UK but I like playing with it.) He’s pretty out there.
Go Warriors, most importantly it should be an entertaining game to watch whoever comes out ahead !!
I look at it this way. Teams going to have their ups and downs. Nobody can predict how player turns out. They had deals in place to trade Curry, and Thompson. Keyvon was not a shot make this team. Gary Payton got cut a couple of times.
The Warriors never had “deals in place to trade Curry, and Thompson”.
LMAO!
Both ????
They are getting swept in Boston. Dra is not going to get away with his brand of wrestling NBA. Needs to get body slammed.
Still Celtics in six……. Let’s go
I love it Al. Let’s see how it plays out. I’ll be glued to the television every minute. Should be very exciting.
Celtics haven’t held home court since the 1st rd. That won’t change.
Just like your Heat pick, I’m guessing.
(Warriors in 7).
Put down the pipe.
I agree with everything except GSW winning both games 3 and 4, HIGHLY unlikely.
Scott Foster is crew chief tonight – does that help GSW?
Hmmmm glad we finally are seeing eye to eye on Klay
Payton is becoming one of my favorite players on this team. They better sign him in the offseason. As for Wiggins he better not be expecting any pay raise more like a reduction in pay. That is why I see him not resigning and play out next year.
I agree and I think if Wiggins accepts Draymond Green money they’ll keep him for 3 more. He’s done everything they asked of him. He is a superb fourth option. When he has to be the #1 or 2 guy that’s when we grit our teeth and cringe at the mistakes or let Downs.
I think Gary Payton is a match for the Warriors that’s perfect. Give him a raise and some security and he definitely re-signs. The only hitch in the idea is his father in his ear telling him he has to go for more money, wherever that may be. And with that, dad’s not wrong.
Oh my gawd. You are the greatest basketball mind. Why do you hate Andrew Wiggins? You believe that the Lacobs, Bob Myers, and Steve Kerr can’t come up with a salary extension for Andrew Wiggins. It is amazing to me that you are so angry.
I think they have to pick their spots. The money is not endless. I think if they pay Wiggins a new salary of 30 something million it might cost them 100 million with the tax added. Something crazy like that.
I don’t think another team will give him #1 or #2 option money so Draymond Green money is probably where he’s at. I’m thinking the Warriors May offer something like that to Wiggins. He’s nothing more than a fantastic 4th option. The man will let you down as the #1 or #2 option. That’s just how I see it.
Yes the ability and the body is there but he can’t put it together consistently for some reason. Nobody’s giving him 30 + million again. Just my opinion.
I don’t hate on Wiggins it’s just how I see it. Just facts. I’m super glad he’s on the Warriors right now as the 4TH OPTION. They figured out how to use him whereas Minnesota did not.
I advocated a Wighins-for-Porzingus trade before the srason. Dallas did trade him for a wing, but Dinwiddie is out of position at the 3 and Wiggins can do more with his contract coming up. GSW neeed a shotblocker who could shoot. It might be Dallas in the finals if they did that & GSW agreed. Not that I’m a Wiggins backer at max.
Obviously, not trading Wiggins for Porzingis worked out. It would have been a bad trade. He couldn’t get minutes in Washington. What makes you think Kerr would want to play him.
SF74: Both sides’ fans think the trade is unbalanced and both FOs would have gotten heat. I doubt it was considered seriously but you never know.
Your post made me check Zinger’s game log page, and he averaged per game:
With DAL: 29.5 min, 15.0 GmSc, +1.4 +/-.
With WAS: 28.2 min, 18.5 GmSc, -0.9 +/-.
So no decline, but not many minutes for either… And a lot of games missing for both.
For WAS, Zinger had a 28 PER, 37%on3s, +1 on-off, played to the end, and is 26. To project, he would be helping GSW now. I think Kerr could use someone to defend the rim, to deny Tatum’s constant drives. GSW ran out of bigs tonight, and Wiggins is best as a 3. GSW got overwhelmed.
Make that trade, and the WC team would be ahead. GSW & DAL both wear down late vs EC leaders.
If Warriors keep both Wiggins and Poole even at a discount, it means that Klay has to make major sacrifice on his next contract. Either that or he will be traded.
Not according to the Owners.
If they can develop Kuminga they can trade Wig in a sign and trade after next
Year.
GSW wins because church they spend. The Celtics better go over the cap too or they will not win.
Wow. Great life lesson there with Payton. If you want to live the dream, you have to be 100% committed and not let anything get in the way. Persistence pays off. I can’t believe he even made it back from the broken arm in yime for the Finals. This guy is unbelievable!
GSW needs B+ Klay the next 5 games
Currently they have C- Klay
Remember when people jumped on me here for talking about Payton before they signed him last year?
Klay still spaces the floor for them, even if he isnt knocking down shots. If they were to sit him, it would look a lot like the Heat series, with those being similar teams, although GS has the couple of extra pieces like Porter, Kuminga, etc at the 4/3 spots
Warriors won the first championship in 2015.
Team salary is the 11th highest in the nba.
If the team wants to win championships without paying tax, the formula would be
Championships = 2 superstars + 4 lottery rookie contracts.
Actually, it was 1947.
Warriors adjust and close out the series in next 3 games…
That would be amazing. But it won’t happen.
Everyone knows my thoughts on Klay,
Just don’t understand why you guys defended him so much. I like him as a 3rd scoring option and expect him to have a better game tonight and moving forward, but not upset if they move him in a trade in the off season
He will be due a 2/$84 yet. He’s already the 3 half his minutes. But they have to add size somehow.
Ouch tough loss for my Warriors. Celtics stepped up, big win, they’re in a good position now.
Let’s see what goes on Friday. Almost a must-win for the Warriors now. We’ll see who shows up. Must see TV !!