The struggles the Golden State Warriors have dealt with this NBA season have been virtually unprecedented during the Steve Kerr era, at least when they have been fully healthy.
Although they have won two games in a row, they still have a lackluster 21-24 record and have lost 10 of their last 16 games. They sit in 12th place in the Western Conference, and with more than half the regular season in the rearview mirror, they have to confront the reality that they may not reach the play-in tournament.
With the Warriors’ dynasty running on fumes, their fans have been hoping against hope that the team will make a big trade in the coming days in order to overhaul its roster. One player mentioned as trade bait is forward Andrew Wiggins, whose production has declined this season.
But Kerr, its longtime head coach, shot down such rumors.
“I think he’s playing well, and I’m very hopeful and expect him to be here when the trade deadline passes,” Kerr said about Wiggins. “I think he’s been a big part of our team now for years, helped us win a title a year and a half ago. He still has a lot of career ahead of him. I’m really hoping he’s here and I fully expect him to be here. I don’t know if any player gets to go through his entire career and not see his name in a trade rumor.”
Just two seasons ago, Wiggins was an All-Star starter for the Western Conference. He had arrived in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2019-20 campaign, and at the time, he had a reputation as a low-efficiency chucker who played no defense. But in Golden State, he quickly renovated his game and made himself into an efficient, two-way star.
He was a major part of Golden State’s last NBA championship team two years ago. But so far this season, he’s shooting just 44.1 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from 3-point range.
On the other hand, he did shoot 49.1 percent overall in the month of January, so perhaps there’s a glimmer of hope that he will rediscover his shooting stroke and maintain it for an extended stretch.
The Warriors are one of a number of teams
