NBA Rumors: Warriors' Andrew Wiggins Monitored by Execs as Trade Deadline Candidate

NBA executives are "monitoring" a potential trade for Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

The Dallas Mavericks, who have "always liked" Wiggins, could be a potential destination for the veteran forward, Scotto said.

Scotto discussed the market for Wiggins on Friday's episode of the HoopsHype podcast with The Athletic's Anthony Slater.

Slater noted that a deal before the Feb. 8 trade deadline would mark "a sell-low time for the Warriors."

Wiggins is so far averaging just 12.0 points and 1.5 assists through 38 games, possibly impacting another team's willingness to take on three more years of his $27.25 million AAV contract after this season.

He is also making a career-low 29.5 percent of his three-pointers, a sharp decline from the 39.4 percent he sunk over his last two seasons with the Warriors.

Wiggins was a key part of the Warriors' run to the 2022 NBA title. He ranked second on the team in minutes while succeeding defensively as a frequent matchup against Luka Dončić in the Western Conference Finals.

This season the Warriors have been statistically a better team without him, however. Wiggins has a -8.2 net rating on the court and a plus-6.0 rating on the sideline through 42 games, according to NBA.com.

Finding a trade partner for Wiggins comes with another benefit for the Warriors. The team is likely looking to get below the second apron before the end of the 2023-24 season, when penalties for overspending are set to sharply increase.

The Warriors are currently $26 million over the second apron, while Wiggins comes attached with a $26.27 million cap hit next season.

"The fact that he makes big money for the next three seasons, if they can get off that for some expiring deals, maybe that is appealing enough for them to even maybe have to attach a small asset," Slater said.

In order to find a trade partner, the Warriors will need to find a team looking for a three and willing to bet on Wiggins' shooting to rebound. Slater named the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers as two teams that could use a boost from behind the arc.