Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

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When Wiggins was at his best he was billed as the 4th option behind Steph, Klay, and Draymond running the show. He wasn't in the spotlight and the value he brought as a rugged defender with size, athleticism, and tremendous talent really shined. He took advantage of mismatches and was a beast in the post and midrange. He made open shots and took the defensive challenge.

It's much different now. Steph is still Steph but Klay hasn't been consistent and he's lost a step on defense. Draymond has been in/out. And they're playing a bunch of young players, including Kuminga, who is splitting minutes with Wiggins, and has made it known publicly, he doesn't think Steve Kerr is using him right, and may be asking for more minutes or to be traded. Kuminga certainly wants a bag.

Now you have weird dynamics in GSW and it's not all about winning or sending the Big-3 off with one last great run. It's also about minutes,  shots, roles, and which play-style is best for this person's game versus that person's game. And now there's a giant spotlight on Wiggins. He was arguably the reason GSW won the title. He was the second best player and an awesome weapon in the post, midrange, fast break, three. He dominated - DOMINATED - the Mavs. Why can't he just play like that? What's wrong with Wiggins? Why did he miss that much time after his dad passed away? Is his head right? Does he even like basketball? Is he still hurt from fracturing his ribs? Is he tough enough? Oh we've seen this before. Wiggins sucks. He's lost it. Play Kuminga. Kuminga is the future. And on and on.

Look, I have no idea what's really going on behind the scenes in Golden State or what's in Wiggins' head. But here's a player who checks every box for an NBA wing and the Mavs desperately need to add size and physicality. If Dallas also adds Kuzma to replace THJ's scoring Wiggins would slot as the 4th option in an offense that could go 4 on 3 with Kyrie, Lively, Kuzma and Wiggins. That's a massive improvement over the current situation, where teams just load up on Kyrie and leave the wings unguarded. It's easy for defenses to live with the results when you have a collection of guys who don't consistently make open threes and Williams who can't finish at the rim.

Your second-to-last paragraph nicely summarizes the Andrew Wiggins experience this season.  He has inexplicably been one of the league's worst rotation players.  He currently plays on a team with a great coach and with a lot of teammates who have four championship rings.  If he is failing so miserably in that setting, why would he be better with the Mavericks?  We have a bottom-five coach and only one starter with a lot of positive playoff experience.  If he doesn't listen to Steph, Klay and Draymond on the court, why would he listen to Luka or THJ?

I think he'll be traded to a bad team who has cap space before the deadline or this coming off-season.  Teams like the Pistons and Wizards can afford to take on his contract and try to rehabilitate his career.  It might be worth the risk for teams that are going to bad regardless for a few years.  His contract and pathetic performance are too high risk to playoff contenders.  If Nico were to trade for him and he doesn't improve, it would doom the Luka in Dallas experience for the next four years.  

I also don't want Kuzma on the Mavericks.  He is talented but doesn't fit what we need next to Luka and Kyrie.  He is a below-average 3-point shooter and defender.  He would be a terrible fit here and we'd have to give up our 2027 first to acquire him.  If we were to trade for him in the next week, they'd quickly realize how poor a fit he is here and we'd eventually trade more picks to get off his contract.  Thus is the Mark Cuban experience.  He likes shiny things.  He loved Chandler Parsons too until he didn't.