Did you see the trade speculation about Andrew Wiggins swirling this week?
Despite Wiggins’ nearly immovable contract – four years and $122 million remaining – there continues to be speculation that the Wolves could trade the 24-year-old former No. 1 overall pick, with one reporter suggesting Minnesota is “aggressively” shopping him.
According to Trey Rodriguez of Hoops Inquirer, the Wolves are “aggressively” looking to move Wiggins, adding that the Miami Heat are among the “few teams that have shown some interest in Wiggins.”
#Timberwolves are aggressively shopping Andrew Wiggins, per league source.
— Trey Rodriguez (@TreyRodriguezNY) June 18, 2019
Reality check: Even if Gersson Rosas, the Wolves’ new president of basketball operations, is aggressively shopping Wiggins, he’s going to have a helluva hard time getting a deal done.
Rodriguez might be as plugged in as anyone in the league. He might even have a source with direct knowledge of what’s happening inside Target Center, but with all due respect, a report from Rodriguez doesn’t carry the same weight that a report from Adrian Wojnarowski or Jon Krawczynski does.
And Krawczynski released a fresh column about Wiggins on Tuesday and he doesn’t see a trade happening. Krawczynski writes in The Athletic (paywall):
“The length and size of that contract, coupled with Wiggins’ disappointing performance over the last two years in particular, would make a trade exceedingly difficult to pull off. Whether it is because it would cost too much to unload or the realization that the shortest line back to the playoffs comes from some way, somehow coaxing the consistency and impact that no coach has been able to unearth yet, the signs are pointing toward Wiggins remaining a fixture in Minnesota.”
It doesn’t mean Rosas is incapable of finding a workable trade, but the odds are low. KSTP’s Darren Wolfson agrees, responding to a Twitter question about the Miami Heat reportedly showing some interest in Wiggins.
“Sounds like they have gauged the value of a few guys across the league,” Wolfson replied. “Can’t say that I’ve heard of Pat Riley wanting 4-years/roughly $120M of a contract.”
Go back to the day Rosas was introduced as Minnesota’s new leader. He said he’s going to invest everything he can into turning Wiggins into the player he’s capable of becoming.
“Andrew is a very talented individual. I was fortunate to have seen him as a young player at the Hoop Summit and I know what his potential is,” Rosas said, via Dane Moore. “I know what his impact could be. I’m going to invest every resource I can to help Andrew be successful. Because the reality is that a player at that level, with that talent, in the right system, playing the right way is something that’s very important.”
It’s fun to speculate on trade rumors, but it’s still a probability that Wiggins playing alongside Karl-Anthony Towns next season.
