Grading 4 NBA trade deadline targets from no-brainer to most-avoid

2) Andrew Wiggins

Time is quickly running out for the Golden State Warriors to right the ship on their sinking title hopes. They are currently ninth in the West and have struggled with both injuries and inconsistent play from their best players. One of their most disappointing players this year has been all-star Andrew Wiggins, who simply hasn't been the same since his 2021–22 season.

With three years remaining on his contract and more than $84 million owed to him, it's unsurprising that the Warriors are shopping Kim at the trade deadline in hopes of improving their roster. However, Wiggins hasn't had a great track record when it comes to his work ethic and he drew criticism when he showed up to training camp out of shape back in October.

Those are red flags and suggest that Wiggins' play during their championship season was a fluke and not sustainable. The Warriors are right to shop him, but opposing teams should be wary of trading for such an inconsistent player on a suspect contract.

Be that as it may, a team such as the Dallas Mavericks, who are looking for help at forward, may talk themselves into taking a chance on a 28-year-old known for his defense and hope that his shooting comes back around. Then again, his play this season should get teams to pump the brakes on trading for him, at least until he can prove that he can be a high-level player again.