This standout Warriors forward could headline team's departures during offseason

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins

The Golden State Warriors are expected to make roster changes during the offseason after failing to crack the playoffs this year when they fell to the Sacramento Kings in the opening round of the play-in tournament. According to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein, who was writing in a recent release of his SteinLine newsletter, forward Andrew Wiggins could be one of the more established members of the roster to be involved in a potential trade.

“The strongest likelihood is that the Warriors will pursue roster upgrades via trades by exploring the market of various other players on the roster,” Stein reported. “… starting with Andrew Wiggins after unsuccessful attempts to create a trade market for Wiggins during the season.”

Wiggins played a major role in the Warriors’ run to a championship in 2022. He has failed to reach those heights in either of the subsequent seasons. As such, the Warriors could look to flip the veteran forward for help in other areas of the floor.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick has two years remaining on his current $109 million deal. There will undoubtedly be teams around the NBA willing to gamble on him rediscovering the production that helped Golden State’s veteran core add their fourth championship. Of course, the hard part will be finding a deal that makes the Warriors better while also putting Wiggins in a decent situation.

If Golden State can find an additional playmaker at the guard position or on the wing, that would be the ideal scenario. Steph Curry could thrive with some additional off-ball reps. Nevertheless, Golden State’s roster is in need of a revamp. Freeing themselves from Wiggins’ contract would allow the Warriors front office to acquire a high-level replacement or multiple players to plug different gaps.

Parting ways with someone who helped bring a championship to the Bay Area won’t be easy, but if the Warriors want to bring another title home in the coming years, Wiggins may be the cost of chasing that success.

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