Warriors Trade Andrew Wiggins for Jimmy Butler Sparks Mixed Reactions
Steve Kerr expressed sadness over the trade of Andrew Wiggins to the Miami Heat in exchange for Jimmy Butler. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith criticized Wiggins' performance, noting his inconsistency.
There was a sense of sadness from Steve Kerr and Co. after the Warriors traded Andrew Wiggins in a blockbuster deal that brought Jimmy Butler to Golden State.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, however, had a different set of feelings towards Wiggins following his trade to the Miami Heat, ripping the veteran wing's value after a six-season stint in Golden State.
"You gave away [Andrew] Wiggins," Smith said on Thursday's "First Take" episode. "Now, he's a guy that I think you could give away for a box of cookies half the time because sometimes he shows up and he's leading up to a championship a couple of years ago."
When it mattered most, Wiggins delivered for the Warriors. In 2022, the former No. 1 overall draft pick was a two-way catalyst on the floor, helping deliver Golden State's NBA Finals win over the Boston Celtics.
Smith, while making a play on words, stated that Wiggins, who also made his lone All-Star appearance in 2022, is an ineffective player. "But on far too many occasions, he is missing in action, he is MIA, which is why it's appropriate that he's heading down to MIA, as in Miami," Smith concluded.
This season, Wiggins was Golden State's second-leading scorer with 17.6 points per game and averaged 16.7 throughout his Warriors tenure.
And as Kerr mentioned prior to the trade, it was Wiggins' benevolence that made him a well-respected and loved figure within the organization. Fittingly, Smith has a distinct reading on Wiggins following the Warriors' blockbuster trade.
