Warriors owner Joe Lacob believes the Dubs won the Andrew Wiggins-D’Angelo Russell trade. Lacob feels it is one of the best decisions his franchise made, applauding Bob Myers.
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The Warriors’ recent victory over Minnesota Timberwolves silenced a lot of naysayers. Many believed trading D’Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins was not the right decision for the Dubs. However, Wiggins’ recent 35-points performance against the Wolves has made things clear.
During the 2019-20 season, the Warriors traded Russell to the Timberwolves in exchange for Wiggins. The Stephen Curry team also received a first-round pick in the package trade with the Wolves. Ironically, that first-round pick turned out to be Jonathan Kuzma.
At the time, many critics and pundits criticized the Warriors’ decision as Wiggins had turned out to be a disappointing no. 1 draft pick. On the other hand, Russell could ball and was an All-Star.
However, if recent performances are to go by, the Warriors have had the last laugh. Wiggins has turned out to be an elite two-way player for the Dubs. Under the coaching of Steve Kerr and the leadership of Steph Curry, Wiggins has shown his true potential of a no. 1 draft pick.
Joe Lacob calls the Russell-Wiggins trade one of the best deals the Warriors made.
Wiggins has been a blessing in disguise for the Warriors. The former rookie of the year is currently averaging 18.6 PPG on a 47.7% shooting from the field. Wiggins had a sizeable contribution during the 2020-21 season, especially in the play-in tournament.
Earlier this year, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith stated that he would trade Wiggins for a box of cookies. However, Smith would acknowledge he was wrong. The Warriors are currently the no. 1 seed in the NBA, having an 11-1 record.
Their recent victory over the Timberwolves had everyone in awe of Wiggins. The Warriors forward was 73.7% from the field against his former team and performed two poster dunks on Karl-Anthony Towns.
During the latest episode of The TK Show with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Joe Lacob stated that the Russell-Wiggins trade was one of the best decisions that the Warriors made.
“I thought it was one of the greatest deals, certainly may be the greatest deal we’ve ever done,” he started, presumably referring to his tenure with the team. “And one of the best I’ve seen in a long, long time. I thought it was a killer deal. I thought Bob [Myers] did an amazing job. I don’t even know how to put it strong enough.”
Though some people may be right when they say Russell is a better offensive player than Wiggins. However, the former Wolves player can contribute on both ends of the floor and is a better fit for the Warriors. Having the splash brothers on the roster, the dubs needed help on the defensive end.
Wiggins seemed to have silenced all his critics with his recent performances. The 26-year old has turned out to be a great fit with the Warriors.
