The first trade domino of the offseason has fallen: the Atlanta Hawks dealt two second-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Aaron Wiggins. This was a move that helped both teams, as the Hawks added a solid young role player to their bench for cheap, and the Thunder trimmed their roster expenses by a significant $73 million.
Regarding the LA Clippers, they could’ve easily sent the Thunder the same level of draft capital for Wiggins. However, the fans are happy they didn’t, because there are already too many guards on the roster; there is no serious need for a player like Wiggins. He would’ve just been another man on the bench struggling to secure minutes.
The front office is better off utilizing those picks for the betterment of their future, and it’s clear they know that.
Acquiring Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder would’ve been a waste
For the Atlanta Hawks, branching out and landing Aaron Wiggins was a win. He can start or come off the bench and provide effective, relatively efficient near-double-digit scoring in limited minutes.
To back it up, Wiggins averaged 9.4 points and 3.1 rebounds for the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season, shooting just under 36% from beyond the arc. This speaks volumes, considering the Thunder’s roster is stacked, which makes it hard for a player like the former champion to make an impact.
The LA Clippers, though, cannot say the same as the Hawks. In fact, if they had negotiated out a deal with the Thunder for Wiggins, it would’ve truly been a waste from top to bottom.
Sure, Wiggins is already proven. He can be trusted by head coach Tyronn Lue right away, and it is far more likely than not that he would not be let down; the 27 year old is that good of a role player.
But realistically, even though he has the experience and capability to really hoop, Wiggins would likely be behind Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin, Kris Dunn, and the fifth pick (expected to be a guard) right from the season opener.
On top of that, a question the Clippers answered by not pursuing him is: Does he add something unique to the team?
Scoring, three-point shooting, and veteran experience are all there, making it obvious he doesn’t.
That said, the Clippers were smart for not spending their second-round picks on Wiggins. It wouldn’t have made any sense for the backcourt in any way, shape, or form.
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