Dallas Mavericks have continually been interested in acquiring Andrew Wiggins before the February 8 deadline. Wiggins is seen as one of the options on the wings for Dallas to back their stars, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, on the court. These trade rumours have intensified since the news of Wiggings falling out of the Warriors’ starting lineup.
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Wiggins has a unique ability to play both forward positions, which the Mavs have been keen on bolstering for their roster. The Mavericks’ experiment with Grant Williams did not seem to work out, despite the player showing flashes of potential to be a good pairing next to Doncic and Irving.
Wiggins has this innate ability to slash to the basket and can be a two-way player on the floor, adding defense to the Mavs, which they are lagging on. However, it must be noted that Wiggins is particularly having an underachieving season, averaging 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 41 games. He’s starting a four-year $109 million contract, earning $24.3 million in 2023-24.
Besides Wiggins, the Mavericks have also shown interest in acquiring Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets. Bridges shares the same position as Wiggins, bringing a similar amount of slashing on the court. If not Wiggins, the Mavs can still possibly fill the spot with Miles Bridges.
Andrew Wiggins is currently having an extremely low period in his career
Andrew Wiggins is currently facing a slump in his career. The Warriors star is averaging 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, at 44.1 percent shooting from the floor, 31.5% from beyond the arc, and 71.7 percent from free throws. Since November 2023, Wiggins seems to be stuck in this slump, which is quite contrary to his form during the 2022 championship run.
In the Finals against the Celtics, Wiggins put in numbers to prove himself as a champion worthy of carrying the team to a championship. Wiggins averaged 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in the NBA Finals, with his highest points, assists, and rebounds being 26, 5, and 16, respectively, against the Boston Celtics. Hence, perhaps the slump in Wiggins is temporary and a change of environment could help him realize his true potential.
