SI

Steph Curry, Steve Kerr Had Classy Parting Moves for Andrew Wiggins After Trade

Kristen Wong

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) celebrates with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) after scoring against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center.
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) celebrates with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) after scoring against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. / Nell Redmond-Imagn Images
In this story:

The unintentionally cruel consequences of the Jimmy Butler trade struck the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night when the team learned they would be saying goodbye to Andrew Wiggins.

Wiggins, a former No. 1 pick in 2014, had his ups and downs on the Warriors but was instrumental to Golden State’s NBA title-winning run in 2022 and grew to become an underrated star among the likes of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and then-Warriors teammate Klay Thompson. 

Wiggins was on the court during pregame warmups for Wednesday night’s matchup against the Utah Jazz when he and the rest of the Warriors caught wind of the trade news. Curry was among the players and coaches who “dapped him up” as Wiggins made his way back to the locker room.

The Warriors superstar opened up about his final sad moment with Wiggins in a postgame presser:

“I’m glad the way we did it looking back, to have that moment with our team in the locker room just us talking, for Wiggs especially,” Curry said. “The amount of time he’s been here, what he meant to our team and our franchise to help us climb the mountain top again back in ‘22. 

“He changed a lot for us for the better, and I hope his experience with us changed a lot for him as well. He’s got a lot of basketball left in him, obviously.” 

Warriors coach Steve Kerr also paid an emotional parting tribute to Wiggins:

“Wiggs is one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached,” Kerr said. “Just a beautiful soul, just a wonderful human being. We don’t hang that banner in ’22 without him. Everything he brings every single day, the laughter, the smile, the joy, just a wonderful human being. And so, I’m going to miss him.”

Wiggins closes out his half-decade-long stint with the Warriors as a one-time NBA champion, having earned one All-Star nod and averaged 16.7 points per game while shooting 46% from the field. But, the stats only tell one story for the 29-year-old forward. His Warriors teammates and coaches tell the other.

More of the Latest Around the NBA

Published
Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

Home/NBA