The Warriors are banking on Andrew Wiggins playing at an All-Star level, as ESPN’s Kendra Andrews details. Golden State knows it needs Wiggins’ proven production with the departure of Klay Thompson.
Wiggins missed a chunk of last season due to personal reasons.
“I want to do right by them,” Wiggins said. “It feels so good when they have that confidence in you, when they have that high praise. You want to show up for them.”
Wiggins heads into Monday’s game against the Wizards — he’s listed as probable with a low back strain — with averages of 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He still has two years left, including a player option, on his four-year, $109MM contract after this season.
“I think he’s in a place where he knows the last couple years have been tough for a lot of reasons and I think he’s primed to get back to where he was a couple years ago,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s at the age where he’s right in his physical prime, and we’ve seen him do it. He helped us win a championship. I’m expecting a big year from Wiggs.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- With Stephen Curry sidelined by an ankle sprain the last three games, Brandin Podziemski has gotten a greater opportunity to show his play-making skills, Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes. He has averaged 14.7 points and six assists during that span.
- Jonathan Kuminga has been a sparkplug since Kerr moved him to the bench the past three games, Slater adds. He scored 23 points in 26 minutes against Houston in Saturday’s overtime win. He’s averaging 18.7 points on 51.4% shooting as a reserve. “I don’t want him to love coming off the bench,” Draymond Green said. “He believes he’s a superstar. I believe he’s a superstar. As long as you believe that, you shouldn’t be OK coming off the bench. How you respond is important.” Kuminga will be a restricted free agent next summer after failing to reach a rookie scale extension agreement prior to last month’s deadline.
- The incentives in Moses Moody‘s extension begins at $462,093 in 2025/26 and increase by the maximum allowable 8% a year, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. The incentives pay out if Moody plays at least 1,600 minutes, attempts at least nine 3-pointers per 100 possessions, and achieves at least 60% true shooting. Since the extension begins next season, the only impact of Moody hitting all three of those marks this season would be whether the incentives are considered “likely” or “unlikely” for his 2025/26 cap number. If it is deemed “likely,” his cap hit goes from $11,574,075 to $12,037,038. Moody signed his three-year, $37.5MM extension on Oct. 21.
- Curry returned to the lineup on Monday. Kerr announced prior to the game that his star guard was available, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets.
Hey another Warriors Moody Podski Wiggins Curry article. Probably be 25 or 30 comments. They know what they’re doing here at HoopsRumors.
Let’s see if I can come up with 8 or 10 things to say. Won’t be hard, you know how I am LOL
I was going to say the same. Where’s Davey J?
Give it a hot minute and Babey J will post something outrageously copium itll blow your minds
@Tantan name anything I have ever written thats copium. Literally everything I have predicted on here has come true.
Hey Gary, every time Moody plays more mins than Buddy I laugh VERY hard. Thanks!!!
Sitting in Bay Area traffic I’m sure lol. Give him an hour and he and I will have another 10 comments EACH, dependingon how this Monday night game goes. Going to be fun, stick around.
Moody !! Podski !! Moody !! Podski !! Kuminga !!
Gary, Hoops rumors should pay us for driving viewers to the GSW pages, haha!
I didnt love blowing a 30 point lead in the exact same way Kerr always blows huge point leads, but I still love this roster! Game time baby, LETS DO DUB NATION!
Nahhh, rush hour was 4 hours ago in Lexington Kentucky and 9 hours ago in the United Kingdom.
Taco, Excellent memory !! Made me laugh and thank you for that, and you know what I’m talking about.
Whether Jonathan Kuminga comes off the bench or not won’t factor into his payday.
Teams know talent and that’s the bottom line. Look at Devin Booker. Drafted in the first round and he wasn’t even a starter on his college team. Talent and performance and some numbers get noticed whether a starter or coming off the bench.
It’s the egos that drive starter status that Draymond is talking about. We don’t need egos and we don’t need no Carmelo’s “sacrificing no bench roles.” JK is doing it right and doing what’s best for the team. Kudos to him for that !!
The media is making a bigger deal about Kuminga off the n bench than anything else. He is still getting his minutes and playing at crucial times.
But Kuminga wants it max, and he knows max contract and bench are concepts that dont mesh well
Havlicek, usually yes but I think with a young guy on a good, deep team an exception will be made, and has been made in the past.., (I think lol.)
I believe as a restricted free agent next summer there will be plenty of suitors for JK whether he’s a starter or comes off the bench.
In fact I think coming off the bench shows his outstanding character and that counts for something when giving out millions of dollars in my opinion. I think GM’s feel the same way.
But that’s just a wild guess. What you’re saying here above is the standard for sure.
Kuminga’s coming off the bench might have something more to do with injuries and matchups.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx said:
> Whether Jonathan Kuminga comes off the bench
> or not won’t factor into his payday.
Sorry, this leads, best case, to the end of a long-term relationship with Kuminga. He’ll unhappily sign a 1-2 year deal in June, looking forward to moving to another team that appreciates him. While Kuminga is acting “professional”, his agent has another card to play.
You don’t turn down $30M/$150M to not start and play only 22 mpg. Kuminga did that on the assumption he’d have a chance to play starter minutes. (FYI, Kerr doesn’t see Kuminga as, even, a 6th man — more like 8th or 9th.)
This isn’t the college draft. Teams don’t give $40M contracts to 5th year players that haven’t PROVEN they can play more than 22 minutes per game.
Listen to Draymond talk post-game about how important it is for Kuminga not to get stuck in the role of coming off the bench. Draymond knows what’s up. There is a ton of tension. If not resolved soon, a trade is likely.
Everything you say is true but if they match this summer then Wiggins will be gone in one year and Kuminga will be the small forward of the future, or next 2-3 years at least.
Huh? Kuminga had the 3rd most minutes tonight. He is averaging 23 a night. You don’t give that many minutes to a player you hate and view as a 9th option. Most of the Warriors aren’t getting more than 25 mpg. Kerr has said he wants more outside shooting from Kuminga.
Here come the “they need to trade everybody for a big center” comments
Of course, the trade ideas are always for someone who is close to retirement, can’t play defense, and is slower than molasses.
Did anyone here actually watch the Rockets game? Kerr unveiled the Looney-Slomo-Kuminga-Lindy-Buddy = no playmaker lineup. It worked well in the first half, so what does Kerr do? Plays it almost the entire second half as the lead went from 30 to 0. What works with this roster are constant rotation changes, do not let the opposition adjust. TJD and Moody were cooking everyone in the first half, but they got benched for their worst 3 players and didnt play in the second half at all? And Kuminga only played the last 2 mins of the 2nd half?,
Thats 1 Kerr nightmare game in the books. He truly is the Robert Horry of coaching. Lots of rings, but he sure as hell had nothing to do with them and was being hard carried by a superstar.
Also the worst 3 players on GSW are Slomo, GP2 and Lindy. They should NEVER be getting serious minutes over TJD, Kuminga and Moody, ever. They’re also injury risks. Kerr stinks.
You’re actually trippin
Here comes the copium take of Babey J
So Kerr(like Big Shot Rob) always comes in clutch when it’s matters and was an essential addition for several championship teams over the top?
Davey J calls Kerr an idiot. Kerr’s peers voted one of the 15 greatest Head Coaches in NBA history. I guess Davey knows more about hoops than Riley, Jackson, Poppovich, etc. Who knew. If he knows so much, why is he stuck posting here? He could easily earn a huge contract somewhere else.
I do agree with Dave’s on why did Kerr not play Davis in the second half of the rockets game.
Everyone makes mistakes. It is kinda take anyone seriously who knocks the most successful coach in the team’s history. There has been little to get excited over the years. What Kerr has brought is rather special. To say it is solely because of Curry is rather ignorant. Kerr is his 4th head coach. The 1st was voted one of 10 greatest coaches in NBA history.