Andrew Wiggins

Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Wiggins, Ham, LeBron, Kings, Siakam

January 9th, 2024 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

While there’s “zero indication” that the Warriors would consider trading a longtime franchise cornerstone such as Klay Thompson or Draymond Green at next month’s deadline, there’s a “rising belief” among rival front offices that the team is open to the idea of moving Andrew Wiggins, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

The Warriors are believed to be averse to the idea of moving young forward Jonathan Kuminga, who is reportedly viewed as a potential star who can help them win both now and in the future. But, as has been well documented, the team hasn’t been effective when Kuminga and Wiggins have shared the floor together this season.

As Stein writes, it’s not clear what sort of value Wiggins would have on the trade market at this point. The former No. 1 overall pick was integral in helping Golden State win a title in 2022, and his four-year, $109MM contract was viewed as team-friendly when it was signed. But he’s having the worst year of his NBA career in 2023/24 — his 11.9 points per game would be a career low, as would his 29.7% three-point mark.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Based on what he has heard, Stein says things would likely have to get significantly worse for the Lakers for Darvin Ham‘s job to be in any serious danger. Ham said last week that he was “aligned” with team owner Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, and Stein hears the same things from his sources, writing that the head coach has “very strong support” from those organizational leaders.
Despite the Lakers‘ struggles this season and some speculation from a few media members, there’s no indication that star forward LeBron James has “a shred of interest” in trying to force a trade out of Los Angeles, Stein says. One source tells Stein that the Lakers – who will play eight of their next nine games in L.A. – hope to “ride out this storm” and right the ship during a home-heavy stretch of the schedule.
Revisiting the Kings‘ recent trade talks for Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run It Back (Twitter video link) that Sacramento had hoped to get a deal done “sooner rather than later” and that the Kings had a specific package they were willing to give up for Siakam. With Toronto unwilling to accept that offer at this point, the Kings ended those discussions, which will likely only resume if the Raptors come back to the table to reengage, says Charania.
Charania adds that the Kings‘ offer for Siakam “revolved around” Harrison Barnes. Presumably Charania means it centered around Barnes from a salary-matching perspective rather than a value perspective, since Barnes’ trade value compared to Siakam’s is extremely low.

Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Kuminga, Green, Myers

January 8th, 2024 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors haven’t been effective with Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga on the court together, but their athletic potential is so tantalizing that coach Steve Kerr tried the combination again Sunday night, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Kerr employed his 13th different starting lineup of the season, using Wiggins and Kuminga as the forwards, but the results were disappointing again as Toronto jumped to an early 24-12 lead that Golden State was never able to overcome.

“We’ve talked about trying to get (Wiggins and Kuminga) together,” Kerr said. “Theoretically our two longest, most athletic players. We have not been a good defensive team this year, so we wanted to try it. It hasn’t connected, really. But we’re experimenting. We’re trying to find a two-way lineup that can help us. But obviously that lineup didn’t click.”

Kerr pulled the plug on the experiment by intermission, as the Raptors scored 76 first-half points and held a 27-point lead. He replaced Wiggins, Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis with Brandin Podziemski, Dario Saric and Kevon Looney to start the third quarter.

“I didn’t want to go back to the same lineup,” Kerr said. “The only thing I was interested in in the second half was just competing. What that means — you can say compete, but what does that mean? It means talking on defense. I didn’t hear anything. It was silent in the first half. We needed to have some talk, some chatter. So I went with that lineup because I felt they would give us that.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Kerr will have to juggle his rotation even more when Draymond Green returns, Slater adds. Green, whose suspension was lifted Saturday after 12 games, was in the arena with his teammates Sunday night. Green is expected to miss at least one more game while working on his conditioning, according to Slater, but he should be back on the court by the end of the week.
With the trade deadline now just a month away, the front office is facing a crucial decision on Kuminga, who likely has the highest value of any of the Warriors’ available players, notes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kuminga’s athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect for rival teams, and he’s only 21 with another year remaining on his rookie contract. There are no signs that management will consider breaking up the long-standing trio of Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Poole adds.
The NFL’s Washington Commanders have hired former Warriors general manager Bob Myers as part of their search team for a new head of football operations and head coach, per Adrian Wojnarowski and Adam Schefter of ESPN. Myers, who left Golden State when his contract expired last summer, will be part of an advisory committee that also includes former NBA star Magic Johnson. Myers will continue his studio work with ESPN on NBA games.

Warriors’ Kuminga Has Reportedly Lost Faith In Kerr

January 5th, 2024 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Jonathan Kuminga has lost faith in Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who hear from sources close to the third-year forward that he doesn’t believe Kerr will allow him to reach his full potential in Golden State.

The report comes on the heels of Kuminga being benched for the final 18 minutes of the Warriors’ loss to Denver on Thursday.

“(Thursday) was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” one of The Athletic’s sources said.

Kuminga had played well in his first 19 minutes vs. the Nuggets, scoring 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbing four rebounds to go with four assists. However, he was removed from the game midway through the third quarter and was never reinserted.

“He was playing great,” Kerr said of Kuminga, per Slater. “His normal time to go back in would have been around the five-, six-minute mark (of the fourth quarter). (Andrew Wiggins) was playing great, we were rolling, were up 18, 19, whatever it was. So we just stayed with (Wiggins). Then at that (later) point, it didn’t feel like the right thing to do. (Kuminga) had been sitting for a while. So I stayed with the group that was out there, and obviously, we couldn’t close it out.”

As Charania and Slater detail, Kuminga has been a rotation regular for much of this season, including starting the Warriors’ past 11 games, but his minutes have fluctuated in part because he and Wiggins haven’t showed they’re capable of effectively playing together. Golden State has a ghastly -21.5 net rating in the 131 minutes the two forwards have shared the court this season. Minutes will likely also be harder to come by once Draymond Green returns from his suspension.

Kuminga has admitted to being confused by Kerr’s substitution patterns in the past, telling Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic after a Christmas Day loss to Denver, “Sometimes, I come out the game not knowing what I did. And that messes with my head. It’s like, ‘What they want me to do?’ I can pass and I can do different s–t.”

In 33 games this season, Kuminga has averaged 12.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .506/.280/.688. In spite of Kuminga’s poor net rating alongside Wiggins, Golden State has a +1.8 overall mark during his time on the court, compared to -1.7 when he sits.

Kuminga will be extension-eligible during the 2024 offseason before earning approximately $7.6MM in the final year of his rookie contract next season. If he doesn’t sign a new deal this year, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2025.

Pacific Notes: Wiggins, Kuminga, Green, Lakers Lineup, Theis

December 28th, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors have a specific lineup issue that’s impacting both this year’s outlook and the future prospects of the team, writes Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Golden State has to determine whether Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga — the team’s two most athletic players, in Kawakami’s view — can share the court together, especially with the trade deadline looming.

Kawakami writes that if Wiggins and Kuminga figure out how to play with one another, it would unlock the Warriors’ offense due to the fact that the two forwards make Golden State faster and more athletic. So far, that pairing hasn’t had much success.

In 106 minutes together on the floor this year, the duo has a minus-21.4 net rating, the worst on the team (of lineups that play often) by a large margin. They also have the worst defensive rating and rebound percentage among those lineups.

“It’s something we will try with maybe some new people around them,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Their numbers are not good together, frankly. They’re very redundant. So the tape and the numbers haven’t been great.”

While this lineup wrinkle is just one question for a roster full of them, it has major implications. If the pair doesn’t figure things out, Kawakami writes the Warriors will likely have to choose between them, especially with Kuminga due for an extension on the horizon. If they do end up working well together, however, it could phase out minutes for Golden State’s other veteran pieces.

Kawakami also writes that while the Warriors previously may have been reluctant to move Wiggins in a trade after he signed a bargain contract specifically to stay with the team, he hears that may no longer be the case.

We have more from around the Pacific Division:

The Warriors are keeping quiet on the timetable for Draymond Green‘s return from his indefinite suspension, writes Jon Schultz of the San Francisco Chronicle. “The Draymond stuff, everything is just private,” Kerr said. “That’s behind the scenes and I really don’t have anything to comment on that front.“
The Lakers switched up their starting lineup on Saturday, replacing D’Angelo Russell with Jarred Vanderbilt in an effort to augment the defense. However, that hasn’t worked out just yet, with the new starting lineup posting a 125.0 defensive rating in their 18 minutes together, The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price writes. “We’ve just gotta buckle down defensively,” Anthony Davis said. “We’re not really a switching team but now we’re getting to it because of our lineup. We’re able to do that. Miscommunication is kind of there. Offensively, we can be fine. But we have to do a better job on defense.“
The Clippers acquired Daniel Theis to help address their frontcourt when Mason Plumlee went down with an MCL sprain in November. As Plumlee approaches his return to play, the Clippers haven’t yet determined how they’ll balance Theis and Plumlee when both are healthy, tweets Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

Pacific Notes: Plumlee, Kawhi, Lakers, Warriors

December 26th, 2023 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers center Mason Plumlee is making progress in his recovery from the knee injury that has sidelined him since November 6, head coach Tyronn Lue said over the weekend. As Janis Carr of The Orange County Register relays, Plumlee has played “a little 1-on-1” and has taken part in limited 3-on-3 drills as he inches closer to a return, which is expected to come next month.

“He’s feeling pretty good,” Lue said. “Still has a couple of boxes to check before he gets back on the floor, but he’s trending in the right direction. The last couple of workouts he’s had (there hasn’t been any) pain in his knee so it’s feeling pretty good.”

While Plumlee acknowledged that he’s very eager to get back on the court, he suggested that the Clippers’ recent nine-game winning streak helped alleviate his anxiousness.

“It was hard to watch at first when they were losing, but it became a joy to watch them,” the big man said. “You always want to play, but it was good to see the team turn the corner. James (Harden) looks so good playing with everybody now.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

After missing the past two games – both Clippers losses – due to a hip contusion, star forward Kawhi Leonard is considered questionable to return on Tuesday vs. Charlotte, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Leonard was also listed as questionable before the previous two games, so it remains possible that he’ll miss additional time.
The sample size is tiny, but the Lakers‘ new starting lineup – featuring Jarred Vanderbilt in place of D’Angelo Russell – hasn’t gotten off to a good start. The five-man group has a 105.0 offensive rating and a 125.0 defensive rating, which would both rank dead last in the NBA, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Buha notes that the competition (Oklahoma City and Boston) has been tough and the lineup has played only 18 minutes so far, but says the group doesn’t make sense together and doesn’t look competent on either end of the floor, arguing that the team needs to make another change.
While Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has said he doesn’t want to play Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga together, he may have to rethink that approach in order to maximize both players, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Thompson also explores Golden State’s rotation, wondering if the team might actually have too much depth to get regular minutes for all the players who deserve them once Draymond Green and Gary Payton II return.

Warriors Notes: Jackson-Davis, Green, Wiggins, Payton

December 23rd, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors appear to have gotten a major steal late in this year’s draft, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Weaving a separate but related agreement into the Chris Paul/Jordan Poole deal, Golden State sent Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash to Washington for the 57th pick, which it used to select Indiana center Trayce Jackson-Davis, who has been indispensable, especially since Draymond Green‘s latest suspension.

Jackson-Davis showed the Wizards what they missed in their Friday night matchup, posting his third straight double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. He feels like he has something to prove to the rest of the league after sliding so far on draft night.

“Washington, I think, called me on draft day,” Jackson-Davis recalled. “Them and the Spurs called me and said, ‘We’re thinking about taking you early in the second. We’re probably going to get a pick.’ But it didn’t happen. Then all of a sudden my agent called and said the Warriors are trading for Washington’s pick.”

The Warriors have a numerical model that projected Jackson-Davis as a top-15 prospect and they considered him worthy of a first-round pick, Slater adds. Jackson-Davis said he heard that Golden State was trying to trade for another first-round selection after taking Brandin Podziemski at No. 19, but couldn’t find an acceptable deal until the draft was almost over.

Jackson-Davis added that teams began calling his agent around the 35th pick, but they all wanted him to accept a two-way contract. His insistence on a guaranteed deal caused him to stay on the board until nearly the end.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Green has missed more than five games during his indefinite suspension, which means Golden State can transfer him to the suspended list and sign a replacement player, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Memphis added Bismack Biyombo during Ja Morant‘s suspension, but salary cap concerns may make the Warriors less likely to follow suit — they already have an open roster spot.
Coach Steve Kerr likes his current rotation, but changes are still expected soon, per Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. After missing two games with an illness, Andrew Wiggins could be ready to return on Christmas Day, and Gary Payton II, who has been sidelined since late November with a strained right calf, recently began practicing again. Room will also have to be made for Green whenever he’s reinstated by the league.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic re-examines the 2020 draft and explains why the Warriors opted for James Wiseman instead of Tyrese Haliburton. Head coach Steve Kerr said he thinks Haliburton was ranked fourth or fifth on Golden State’s board. “I was disappointed that they (had) the No. 2 pick because I felt like if they were anywhere out of the top three, I felt like I was going to be the pick,” Haliburton said.

Warriors Notes: Green, Curry, Wiggins, Podziemski

December 18th, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green has already begun counseling and will likely be suspended for at least three more weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. The NBA handed down an indefinite suspension after Green hit Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face in a December 12 game. It’s Green’s second suspension of the season, and the league cited his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” in making it indefinite.

Charania’s sources declined to reveal the nature of the counseling because of privacy concerns, but Green is continuing to work with representatives from the Warriors and the NBA while he’s suspended. Charania adds that Green understands the need for treatment and is “prepared to undergo the process required to return to the team in a full capacity.”

A three-week suspension would have Green back on the court in early January and would result in him missing about 12 games, Charania notes. Golden State has a 2-1 record in the three games since the suspension was imposed.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Stephen Curry‘s historic streak of making at least one three-pointer ended Sunday after 268 games, but his teammates contributed enough for a win over Portland, ESPN reports. Curry, who has carried Golden State’s offense for most of the season, had a rare bad shooting night, hitting just 2-of-12 from the field and going 0-of-8 from three-point range. “We can’t rely on Steph to bail us out on every single night,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It was a tough night for him. But that’s what a team is supposed to be about — everybody filling in for each other, different guys stepping up each night. That’s a great sign, because he’s carried us for long enough this year. We need to give him more help.”
Andrew Wiggins had his best game since being moved to the bench last week, posting 25 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes, writes Michael Wagaman of NBC Sports Bay Area. Wiggins told reporters this is the first time he hasn’t been a starter since a rec league game when he was in sixth grade, and he vowed to keep working to reclaim his starting role. “It’s different, different for sure,” he said. “It’s another thing I have to deal with. Whatever happens happens. Of course I want to get back to my normal spot. But it could take time, who knows? I can’t really dwell on something that’s a decision made by somebody [else]. I just have to keep playing, keep staying aggressive, stay in the gym and just try to do the right things. Anything can happen in this league. I’m blessed to be here and if I want to get out of this little doghouse I just have to keep fighting my way out.”
Rookie Brandin Podziemski showed why Kerr trusts him to finish games, drawing a charge with less than a second remaining to preserve Sunday’s victory, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Podziemski ranks fourth in the league in drawing offensive fouls, which is one of the reasons he’s starting in place of Wiggins.

Warriors Bench Andrew Wiggins

December 14th, 2023 at 9:42pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors will have Andrew Wiggins come off the bench in their Thursday matchup against the Clippers, tweets The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Rookie forward Brandin Podziemski is taking over Wiggins’ spot in the starting five, with Jonathan Kuminga also starting in place of the suspended Draymond Green.

It’s unclear whether Wiggins’ move to the bench is temporary or if this is a longer-term move, but Charania’s wording makes it sound like the latter.

The Warriors entered Thursday at 10-13, 11th in the conference. It’s a disappointing start for a team with big aspirations, and it’s the culmination of suspensions, injuries and players – like Wiggins – having down seasons.

Wiggins is averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks this season while shooting just 41.3% from the field and 27.9% from beyond the arc. These are substantial drop-offs for the former No. 1 overall pick, who averaged 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks last season on .473/.396/.611 shooting.

As The Athletic’s Anthony Slater observes (Twitter link), Thursday’s game marks Wiggins’ first career regular season game off the bench. He had previously started all 656 of his NBA appearances. His only career game as a reserve came in the postseason when he was returning from a prolonged absence last year.

Wiggins and Klay Thompson are both off to slow starts, contributing to Golden State’s lackluster season thus far. If the Warriors continue to disappoint, it’s possible another rotation switch involving Thompson, who is averaging his lowest scoring output since his rookie season, is on the horizon.

In Wiggins’ place, the Warriors are starting promising rookie Podziemski, who is averaging 8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists this season. He’s shooting a scorching 44.2% from deep and is continuing to earn a bigger role with the organization, averaging 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds over his past five games.

As of now, Golden State is starting Stephen Curry, Thompson, Podziemski, Kuminga and Kevon Looney, with Wiggins, Chris Paul, Moses Moody and Dario Saric among the top options off the bench.

Draymond Green Likely Facing Another Suspension Following Tuesday Ejection

December 13th, 2023 at 7:15am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from a game for the third time this season on Tuesday, earning a flagrant 2 foul for striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head during the third quarter of Phoenix’s win (Twitter video link via TSN Sports).

The NBA is expected to review the incident before the Warriors’ game against the Clippers on Thursday and will likely suspend Green for a second time this fall, according to Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. The former Defensive Player of the Year was previously suspended five games for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock, with the league citing Green’s “history of unsportsmanlike acts” when announcing that penalty.

“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said after the game, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.

“… You guys have known me long enough, if I intended to do something, I am not apologizing. But I did make contact with him, so I do apologize. … It’s a hard hit.”

Although the blow sent Nurkic to the floor, the big man was able to finish the game. After the victory, he told reporters that the play had “nothing to do with basketball,” while Suns head coach Frank Vogel referred to it as “reckless (and) dangerous,” according to Andrews.

“I’m sensitive to our guys getting hit on plays like that,” Vogel said. “I didn’t like it. The refs did what they had to do. The league will do what they have to do.”

Another suspension for Green could result in more playing time for young players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and perhaps Trayce Jackson-Davis, as well as veterans Dario Saric and Kevon Looney.

Both Kuminga and Saric, as well as rookie Brandin Podziemski, were part of Golden State’s closing lineup on Tuesday, alongside Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, with Green unavailable and starters Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Looney on the bench.

Thompson, whose scoring and shooting numbers this season are well below his career norms, told reporters after the game that it was “strange” to be benched down the stretch, but he didn’t question head coach Steve Kerr‘s decision.

“I played like crap,” Thompson said, per Andrews. “If you’ve ever played basketball before, you know what you are capable of. You always want to be out there competing. That’s just facts … but I deserved to be benched. I’ve been playing like crap. Twenty games in, I haven’t found a rhythm.”

Warriors Notes: Starting Five, CP3, Kuminga, Klay, Haliburton

December 9th, 2023 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

There was an expectation heading into the Warriors‘ game on Friday in Oklahoma City that head coach Steve Kerr might make a change to a starting lineup that has struggled this season after being one of the NBA’s best in 2022/23. Entering Friday’s action, the five-man group of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney had posted a minus-13.0 net rating in 113 minutes.

However, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets, Kerr stuck with that lineup on Friday and it was relatively effective, outscoring the Thunder by three points in nearly 16 minutes of action. Still, it wasn’t enough. After taking a 14-point lead in the first half, the Warriors watched it slip away and eventually lost in overtime in OKC.

“It’s a pattern right now,” Kerr said after the game, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I watched this same group win a championship a year and a half ago. They’re champions. But they’re not playing like it. I’m not coaching like it. We have to figure this out.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Veteran point guard Chris Paul was a late scratch on Friday due to an illness, tweets Slater. The Warriors announced their starters before ruling out Paul, so the starting five presumably would have been the same even if he had been available.
Golden State committed 29 turnovers in Friday’s loss, which is the most in any game in the Kerr era and the most by any Warriors team since 2002, writes Slater. Kerr referred to it as an “obscene” amount of turnovers and said he plans to hold a film session to try to address the issue. “You want me to go through them?” Kerr said when asked if there were any in particular they needed to eliminate. “We will watch all 29 as a team. I can tell you that. We will watch all 29 turnovers.”
Klay Thompson praised Jonathan Kuminga for his recent play, referring to him as “the future,” according to Slater. Thompson also said he’ll “never, ever lose faith in this group” and shrugged off Charles Barkley likening the 10-12 Warriors to the Titanic on TNT’s Thursday broadcast.“The only frustration with that is will this guy ever give us any credit?” Thompson said when informed of Barkley’s comments. “You know how hard this is to do? Annually? You’d think Charles would understand how hard it is to win a championship. To do that annually? And we’re still here. What are we — 10 and 12? There’s 60 freaking regular season games left. But he’s been hating on us since 2015. So this is no surprise.”
During that same TNT broadcast, former Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers spoke about bringing Tyrese Haliburton in for a workout prior to the 2020 draft and ultimately passing on him (Twitter video link). “What bothers me more than anything was — his workout was good (but) when we met with him after, I should have known then because of who he is as a person and a leader,” Myers said. “… That conversation left a mark because of how smart he is and how confident. It’s not fake, it’s not arrogant, it’s confidence. When you talk about players wanting to play with him, that’s real. … There’s a lot of great players in the NBA that people do not want to play with. (If) you are a great player and a great person, then people want to play with you.” Haliburton said at the time that he thought he’d be a “really good fit” in Golden State — he wasn’t really in the conversation for the No. 2 overall pick, but there was a sense that he could be one of the Warriors’ targets if they traded down.

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