Andrew Wiggins, The Artist Formerly Known As “Maple Jordan”, has been playing out of his mind for the Timberwolves thus far in 2019/20. His shot profile has modernized as he has prioritized three-pointers over inefficient long two-pointers. His passing has enjoyed a remarkable early turnaround. The team, too, has outperformed early prognostications. The Wolves currently sit 7-5, good for the seventh seed in a brutal West.
Wiggins famously signed a five-year, $147.7MM contract with the Timberwolves in 2017. The level of the deal and his middling play after inking it apparently contributed to Jimmy Butler‘s trade demands early in the 2018/19 season.
The 6’7″ swingman out of Kansas has shown flashes of his potential in seasons past. Those flashes were so few and far between that Minnesota struggled to move his expensive contract this past offseason, albeit not for lack of trying.
Despite being in the midst of his sixth NBA season, Wiggins is just 24 years old. There could be time for him to permanently break the bad habits that seem to have curbed his growth. It remains an open question as to whether or not second-year coach Ryan Saunders will be able to keep Wiggins on his current upward trajectory.
And how high will that trajectory take Wiggins, exactly? Is Wiggins becoming the legitimate long-term cornerstone that the Wolves have long needed him to be, a great wing compliment to established All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns? Can Wiggins sustain this performance consistently enough to finally become an All-Star? At the very least, is Wiggins’ contract still an albatross or could he finally net Minnesota positive trade value if the team did eventually want to move him?
I have my doubts about Wiggins’ All-NBA potential, but one or two career All-Star appearances feel well within reach if he can maintain his excellent play of late.
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
Wiggins is better than Barnes for a Wiggins-Russell trade.
Wolves are due for some maturity and limited success.
Limited being the operative word here. KAT has become the new KG in Minnesota and is unfortunately wasting his career there.
Wiggins for Russell doesn’t happen without loads of picks. Barnes is a better 3 point shooter, he’s a much better defender and Barnes is happy to play as a 4th/5th option on offence. Where’s Wiggins who I still believe has room to improve is someone who needs to be a top scoring option to be decent, he isn’t good defensively and isn’t much of a floor spacer.
Whereas DLoading is an All Star PG, who’s a good leader, good clutch shooter and someone would want to build around.
As for KAT/KG remarks, yes they are both bigs that led the TWolves but KG was a force. One of the most dirtiest smack talkers, he was one of the leagues best defenders while still having about 23+ points per game and was an MVP. Towns is nice and a really solid scorer and rebounder but is very soft on defence and his team has only made the playoffs once where he struggled. KG could play both ends of the floor really well and if he struggled scoring he could affect the game in other ways, KAT isn’t that guy yet, needs to improve his defence and strength.
Wiggins & MIN are on the rise at present, per the article, so that has to be accounted for. Soon I’ll wish the Cavs had him more than KLove all these years!
That could revert, but D’lo is hard to read. He could be what you say but Barnes starting 4/$85, never.
D’lo bombed in the playoffs and does not engage enough to be a personal leader. IDK about clutch, maybe so, but it’s not hard for someone tries to avoid caring. Past employers preferred others– the Lakers took a chance on getting James, then the Nets wanted Irving. GSW probably won’t keep him after maxxing him.
MIN knows they can keep D’lo, and he will help keep Towns, and the owner is sensitive about these things.
What can GSW get for max-paid D’lo? I doubt many teams want to build around him (except MIN).
Also, Wiggins for Russell is karmatic! GSW should get a 1st too.
Who in the world is DLoading?
I think he means DLo aka D’Angelo Russell
Wiggins seems like a good trade candidate. Okogie is a better player, and Wiggins is playing well enough that Charlotte, Detroit, and Orlando could have interest, assuming Wiggins continues to play well thru the deadline.
Still, it’s only 10 games or so. He needs to do this for a few months before trade interest increases.
Okogie better than Wiggins??? Lol Defesivley, yes definitely! Offensively it’s not close! My 4th grade daughter has a better jumper than Okogie
Look at advanced stats (RAPTOR, BPM, VORP). Okogie nets out as a better player. He should be starting.
Watch the games
I like Covington at the 3 and Culver/Okogie at the 2.
No surprises there he is playing at the level he played before Butler went to Minny, nothing special for him, hopefully people will stop hating on him… if only!
A.Wiggins and G.Deing for CP3 and N.Noel
TWolves get away from their two biggest ugliest contracts for CP3 a future HOF who’s still playing well with averages of 16-4-5 while sharing the PG duties. He’s improved his FG and 3P% from last year and is still a good defender and leader. Noel is a nice PF/C who’s good defensively, young and having a solid year.
Thunder get back a SF who’s young and having a good year. He might make a good duo with SGA (both from Canada). Plus they get rid of Paul’s huge deal and Deings expires soon.
Maybe TWolves have to give up a second rounder or two but that’s fine.
Just stop. The wolves will never take Chris Paul’s contract. Paul and Towns make zero sense. The timeline is wack. Paul will get considerably worse as the contract increases in value (and impossible to move)The Timberwolves want to build around towns and build for his future. If the Timberwolves take a swing at a point guard it will most definitely be DRuss. Besides, we Minnesota fans and the organization already had enough of non-championship winning egotistical divas that can’t get along with their teammates.
Great job building around Towns. He’s been in the league 5 years now and you’ve paid max money to a dumb SF. Failed to ever get him a good PG and haven’t gone anywhere. Paul even if you don’t like him gives you production and is good defending. Atleast a backcourt is Paul and either Okogie and Culver are really solid defensively, throw Covington and Noel in the forward spots you have some really nice defenders.
Your not going anywhere with Wiggins and Towns together because they don’t both play defence
We don’t want the second worst contract in the league. Your trade idea is 100% not happening.
Wiggins is a tease. Not a max player. But will show signs of one. At 24 he keeps playing well. I would move him. I think he fits in well with Warriors. And Russell fits in well with TWolves. This is something that can happen.
Heard he finally woke up in the offseason and started caring. He and Booker are similarly super improved. Now they can potentially get better b/c they’re still young. Just have to keep building habits.
Wiggins will revert to the mean soon.
Wiggins hasn’t played the last two games right? Why not?
Is grandmother passed away
OK Thanks for the info!