One of the NBA’s top small forwards could be acquired by the Golden State Warriors in a recent rumored trade proposal.
On August 15, Lee Tran of Fadeaway World that the Suns and Golden State Warriors swap the following items:
Golden State Warriors Receive: Deandre Ayton
Phoenix Suns Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Moses Moody
Wiggins contributed to the Warriors’ six-game victory over the Boston Celtics in the 2022 championship. In October 2022, he received a hefty deal worth $109 million over four years. Next season, the former All-Star will make $24.3 million.
Last year, Wiggins played in 37 games for the Warriors. He shot 47.3% from the field, 39.6% from behind the arc, and 61.1% from the line for averages of 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
With the Minnesota Timberwolves and Warriors, the 28-year-old Wiggins has accumulated career NBA averages of 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. With the Timberwolves, he received the Rookie of the Year Award in 2014–15.
Lee Tran: Suns Land ‘An Elite Wing Defender & Add Depth’
In order to increase depth and obtain a top-tier wing defender for Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, Tran thinks the Suns should trade Ayton to the Warriors for Wiggins, Looney, and Moody.
“Overall, this trade gives the Phoenix Suns three quality players to round out their roster and add depth,” Tran wrote. “Though DeAndre Ayton is a good player, splitting him into multiple players to create a more balanced roster is more conducive to winning a championship than staying top-heavy. The Suns are an older roster, and depth is key to being able to withstand injuries to key players. This trade could be the move that vaults the Phoenix Suns over the opposition in the West, and though moving Ayton is a risk, in this case, it is absolutely warranted.”
For the Suns last season, Ayton averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 58.9% from the field and 76.0% from the charity stripe. In 67 games, the Arizona product has 36 double-doubles.
However, Ayton’s performance level dropped during the 2023 playoffs. In 10 games versus the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers, the big man averaged 13.4 points and 9.7 rebounds. In the Nuggets series, Ayton averaged 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, but he never had a plus-minus rating that was positive.
In six games, the Suns were defeated by the Nuggets in the conference semifinals. Due to a rib injury he sustained in Game 5, Ayton missed Game 6 and received harsh criticism from Phoenix supporters.
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