How Aaron Wiggins' Role with the OKC Thunder will Evolve After Recent Extension

After being selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, Oklahoma City wing Aaron Wiggins has become a key piece of the team's rotation.

Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) is defended by Dallas Mavericks guard A.J. Lawson (9) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Despite a career-low in minutes per game last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder rewarded foruth-year wing Aaron Wiggins over the offseason.

After averaging 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, Wiggins was offered and accepted a five-year, $47-million contract that will keep the talented bench option in the Modern Frontier.

While Wiggins' stats aren't eye-popping, the 6-foot-6 wing was an important contributor off the bench in 2023-24, coming up with big plays in crucial moments for the Thunder. Wiggins' most memorable moment of last year came in the Western Conference Semifinals, when the Maryland product stepped in and scored 16 points while only missing two shots in a Game 1 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Additionally, Wiggins is great at cutting to the basket and managed to get a handful of easy buckets by moving towards the rim at the perfect moment.

Projected breakdown of Aaron Wiggins contract by year:

24-25 - $8,103,448
25-26 - $8,751,724
26-27 - $9,400,000
27-28 - $10,048,276
28-29 - $10,696,552

*no word on if it's all guaranteed or any option. It's kind of a bargain though* pic.twitter.com/4IrXQhAVlQ

— The Daniel Bell© (@BasketballGuruD) July 1, 2024

Aside from moving well without the ball, Wiggins is an all-around hustle player who can fill a variety of roles for OKC.

During his third year as a professional, Wiggins' largest improvement came from beyond the arc, where the Thunder wing hit a whopping 49.2% of his 3-point attempts.

Now, heading into his fourth year in Oklahoma City, Wiggins will have to continue fighting for time on the court with the Thunder adding Alex Caruso over the offseason and the likely improvment of high-upside young players like Cason Wallace.

Wiggins will also have to get used to playing with a true center, as there is a chance he will share the court with Isaiah Hartenstein as members of the Thunder's second unit. Hartenstein is a great passer out of the high post position and should be able to find Wiggins on cuts to the basket.

Additionally, with Hartenstein not being an active 3-pointers shooter, the team will need Wiggins on the floor to help maintain spacing with a more reliable 3-point shooter. After knocking down shots at such a high percentage last season, there is a good chance Wiggins is asked to take even more shots from deep this year.

While he may not see much of an uptick in minutes from the 2023-24 campaign, Wiggins' should benefit from playing in an even better offense in 2024-25.

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