Trade To Minnesota Timberwolves Best For Andrew Wiggins’ Career Path
By Nathan Giese
Hot takes here, so be prepared.
Since LeBron James went back home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Kevin Love trade rumors have been back in full swing. They took a few weeks off to see where James would go. Now that he’s with the Cavs, Cleveland has been rumored to be at the forefront, the consensus “leader” to land Love, if there is such a thing.
At first, the Minnesota Timberwolves were demanding Andrew Wiggins in any trade package for Love. Camps have been split on whether or not Cleveland should include the 2014 No.1 pick. This has led to a number of debates and, yes, HOT TAKES, as they’re referred to in the Twittersphere.
On the one hand, Cleveland keeps Wiggins. Those that approve of this option feel that Wiggins could quickly become the Scottie Pippen to James’ Michael Jordan. They see Wiggins as being the perfectly compliment to James for his defensive prowess and potentially lethal overall skill set.
On the other hand, Cleveland trades Wiggins in a package for Love. While this moves the Canadian product to the Timberwolves, it brings in Love. Only 25 years old, Love has been to three All-Star games, has been a double-double machine and gives Cleveland three lethal scoring options with him, James and Kyrie Irving. This would put the Cavs as the clear favorite to win the Eastern Conference, maybe even the NBA Championship next June.
The sides are split, some feel very strongly about their opinions, others could see it going either way. However, there’s an aspect to this scenario that few have examined: the trade would allow Wiggins to be the star, the leader that he has been expected to be since the second he stepped foot at Kansas.
Considered the the latest once-in-a-lifetime talent to come into the NBA, Wiggins has been hyped up just as much, maybe more than James was when he entered the league in 2003. With his overall game still rather raw, he plays tremendous defense, has good energy on the court and can be a deadly catch-and-shoot marksman. There’s still plenty of untapped potential with Wiggins, and being paired with two All-Stars, one of them being the best player in the world, could possibly hinder his growth as a player.
He’s a special case, Wiggins. He’s been hyped so much that everything he does has been poked and prodded at while he was in college. However, while he was rather unexceptional in college, the general thought was that he would still become the greatest thing since sliced bread (hyperbole, for effect). Once James decided to join with the Cavs, having already drafted Wiggins and possession of Kyrie, Wiggins’ future was up in the air, being part of trade speculation for Love.
Camps from both sides have come out, guns blazing, once again, when it was reported on Thursday that the Cavs, despite previously saying no to adding Wiggins in a trade for Love, have reconsidered. Now, it’s entirely possible Wiggins is moved to Minnesota, which would be in the best interest of his career potential.
Sounds crazy, right? Allow me to explain.
With Cleveland, Wiggins would be the second, even the third, fiddle behind James and Irving. For a player that’s expected to become an All-Pro sooner rather than later, taking on a lesser role would only hurt him. Instead of being handed the keys to the car and saying, “Drive, kid” it would be like putting him in the back seat while James drives and Irving rides shotgun.
Wiggins needs to prove himself and he can’t do that as one of the three best players on a team. He needs to be the one, much like Brock Lesnar is the one in 21-1. He needs to standout, not take a backseat. It’s nice to be Pippen, but not for somebody that’s supposed to be Jordan (again, hyperbole, for effect).
If the Cavs are willing to give up Wiggins in a trade for Love, then it should be just a matter of time before the trade news comes out. That was the holdup in the last round of trade discussions and doesn’t appear to be an issue anymore. Cleveland may be willing to make the deal, and while some may think they should keep Wiggins, let the process play out and not escalate a chase for a championship, Wiggins can never be the player most think he’s capable of becoming as the third wheel.
While Wiggins may be a once-in-a-lifetime talent, he can’t become that being anything less than the main guy. He can be that in Minnesota. With the Timberwolves, Wiggins would be handed the keys and allowed to drive. The team would likely build around him and Ricky Rubio. It’s not the sexiest roster, but it’s best for his career path. Cleveland, with LeBron and Kyrie around for a while, is never going to be his team.
Going to Minnesota would allow Wiggins to reach for the stars. If he falls, so be it. If he succeeds and becomes the player he’s capable of, then that’s great. He might be unhappy playing in Minnesota, but just letting the process play out and becoming a free agent when his rookie contract is up is an option for him. Who knows, maybe he’ll appreciate being closer to Canada and the love and affection that Timberwolves fans will shower him with. He’d be the guy in Minnesota, much like Love has been and Kevin Garnett before him. You can’t become a star while not even being the second best player on your own team.
Whatever happens with this ordeal, so be it. But if Wiggins wants to become a star like he’s supposed to, a move to Minnesota would be best for him. His supporters won’t like to hear it, because everybody outside of Minnesota thinks that’s where careers go to die, but they’ve got a good track record bringing the best out of their players. Cash in elsewhere when the time comes, but being with the Timberwolves would benefit Wiggins more than being the third best option on a team.