Warriors break silence on Andrew Wiggins' Canada decommitment
06/29/2024 12:21 AM
Major changes are coming for the Golden State Warriors; after a season in which they underperformed and missed the playoffs, a roster upheaval seems to be on the way, with the Dubs setting their sights on a potential trade for Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George. With Andrew Wiggins one of the pieces that could potentially be on the move for salary-matching purposes, reports came out that the Dubs held Wiggins out of participating for Team Canada for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
However, the Warriors clarified that the decision for Wiggins not to join the Canadian team for the upcoming Olympic games was a mutual one, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Contrary to previous reports, this decision was not something that the Warriors imposed on the 29-year old forward. Per Koreen, the Warriors “cannot preclude him from playing”, so if Wiggins saw suiting up for Team Canada as the number one priority, it seems like he could have forced the issue.
Nonetheless, it seems as though both sides are bracing for an inevitable trade. Both Andrew Wiggins and the Warriors appear to be playing it safe, as an injury could deter a potential move. Wiggins missed 45 games two seasons ago and there seems to be lingering injury concerns from the Warriors’ side of things, and giving him the full green light to play for Team Canada could have risked re-aggravation.
Andrew Wiggins, Warriors legend
Andrew Wiggins’ decline has been steep and oftentimes hard to watch. But Warriors fans should never let the past two seasons define Wiggins’ stint in the Bay. Wiggins played his heart out during the 2021-22 season, making the All-Star team for the first and only time in his career (to this point), and he played as crucial of a part as any Warrior not named Stephen Curry in their impressive championship run.
Wiggins put together all his tools during that playoff run and became one of the most effective 3-and-D weapons in the entire association. He defended Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum at as a high of a level as anyone, and he also made plenty of timely shots from the perimeter. Moreover, he was also a man on a mission, driving to the hoop with reckless abandon to give the Warriors a legitimate secondary scoring option. Wiggins was a lock for 17 points night-in, night-out to the point of being memed.
However, the Warriors cannot live in the past. As wonderful as Wiggins’ contributions to the franchise were, it seems as though their partnership has run its course. Wiggins put up the worst season of his career last season, tallying 13 and 5 while losing his starting job for a few games. If he leaves the Dubs, he should be bringing in a major upgrade on the wing in Paul George, a sniper who averaged 23/6/5 who should thrive alongside Stephen Curry’s generational spacing.
Assessing the state of Team Canada for the 2024 Paris Olympics
Even with Andrew Wiggins not suiting up in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Team Canada should still have many weapons to round out their 12-man roster in their quest for the gold. Wiggins isn’t exactly a make-or-break player for Canada; they nabbed the bronze medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup without him anyway.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Andrew Nembhard, Dillon Brooks, Luguentz Dort, Kelly Olynyk, Trey Lyles, Dwight Powell and Nickeil Alexander-Walker should be locks to make the roster. Khem Birch and Oshae Brissett could be the ones to round out the roster, as they have some NBA experience.
The post Warriors break silence on Andrew Wiggins’ Canada decommitment appeared first on ClutchPoints.
