NBA Trade Rumors: Teams Tried to Get Andrew Wiggins 'On the Cheap' from T-Wolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves were quiet at the 2019 NBA trade deadline, but at least one of their players drew interest from teams around the league.

According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, multiple teams attempted to make a move for Andrew Wiggins "on the cheap," but Minnesota showed "little interest" in moving the fifth-year forward.

It wasn't that long ago the Timberwolves signed Wiggins to a five-year, $148 million max contract. But since signing on the dotted line, the former No. 1 pick has taken a step back rather than forward.

At the time he signed the contract, Wiggins was coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 23.6 points per game and shot 45.2 percent from the field. Since then, his shooting percentage has steadily declined to 43.8 percent in 2017-18 to 39.4 percent this year. Per NBA.com, his effective field goal percentage of 43.9 this season is the lowest of his career.

Meanwhile, he has averaged just 17.7 points per game over the last two seasons.

Not only have Wiggins' numbers been concerning as of late, but his work ethic has come into question over the past year. Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported in June that former Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler "had problems last season with Wiggins, his work ethic and his approach on the defensive end of the floor." Ultimately, Butler forced his way out of town.

Still just 23 years old, there's plenty of time for Wiggins to regain the momentum he built early on in his career. He is under contract through the 2022-23 season, and while the Timberwolves apparently had opportunities to get out from that deal recently, they remain committed to Wiggins as one of their franchise cornerstones.