The Phoenix Suns are working hard to bring over Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler. However, they’re not the only team pursuing the All-Star forward with the trade deadline just days away. Among the franchises who are reportedly considering adding Butler, the Golden State Warriors appear to be motivated as well. In fact, the Warriors have presented the Heat with multiple frameworks that could lead Butler to the Bay.
Interestingly, starting wing Andrew Wiggins features prominently in these proposed trade packages. However, rather than landing with Miami, he’d be heading home to play for the Toronto Raptors.
Warriors’ Jimmy Butler Trade Pursuit Could Lead Andrew Wiggins To Raptors
“One framework two sources described as Golden State’s ‘hope’ involved Andrew Wiggins going out in the deal, either directly to Toronto or rerouted to Toronto from Miami for (Bruce) Brown,” NBA insider Matt Moore writes on his Substack. “If Wiggins does not sound like the ‘significant piece’ Stein reported on to you, well, he’s not. But what he is a contract they can package with other things.”
To be clear, Wiggins may very well not be the “significant piece” that reporters like Sportnet’s Michael Grange (h/t Legion Hoops) suggest the Raptors want to add next to franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes. He’s refined his game since joining the Warriors. His shot-selection, shooting touch, and on-ball defense are all much improved from his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves. It isn’t hard to see how he could be worked into their transition game.
Yet, he’s not a particularly aggressive scorer anymore, averaging 16.6 points per game over the past five seasons. This is in part due to design, as the Warriors’ offense revolves around Stephen Curry. However, it’s also because Wiggins doesn’t have the same hunger he did as a young player.
You know, the days when he told former USA Today Sports reporter Sam Amick: “I want to be the best, no matter who I’m going against.”
Don’t Underestimate His Fit
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, averaging 23.0 points per game since 2019-20, is closer to the type of game-changer that the Raptors may be looking for. Perhaps that’s why he’s been linked to the league’s only Canadian team. All of that being said, Ingram’s a more impactful scorer, but that doesn’t make him the better player for Toronto.
Throughout the season, there have been two issues that have consistently plagued Toronto: capitalizing on open threes and perimeter defense.
Ingram is a career 36.3 percent three-point shooter but he’s streaky, shooting under 36 percent in four of those seasons. At the other end, he can suffocate opponents with his length but doesn’t have the right mentality to do it consistently. Conversely, Wiggins is a career 35.6 percent three-point shooter but has made at least 37 percent of his long-distance attempts in four of his last five seasons. Defensively, he’s shown himself capable of guarding the opponent’s best wing and doing well in that role.
In terms of his long-term future, there’s no guarantee that Ingram would extend his contract with the Raptors before or after it expires this offseason. In comparison, Wiggins is under contract through 2026-27. Even if he declines his 2026-27 player option, at least two factors that could keep him in Toronto that have nothing to do with basketball. The first is that he’s from Toronto, unlike Ingram, who was born and raised in North Carolina. The second is that he has a growing family; players in that situation usually prefer to stay put.
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