Thunder 4 More: OKC's Aaron Wiggins is as Reliable as They Come

After receiving a long-term contract extension, Aaron Wiggins will continue to be a valuable contributor for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

May 7, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) gestures after scoring a three-point basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of game one of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

With how deep the Oklahoma City Thunder's roster is, it's not a surprise that some talented players get left under the radar.

Aaron Wiggins has been a culprit of that for much of his three seasons with the Thunder, but he remains a valuable contributor off its bench. He may not go out and score an eye-popping amount of points or typically receive starting minutes, but he fills in as an exceptional role player who can fit alongside any player on the team.

There's a certain amount of selflessness required for one to compete on a championship-level team, and Wiggins has accepted that in stride. The forward may have a bigger role on a lesser team, but winning is the No. 1 thing he cares about in basketball. Not personal counting stats.

"I don't force to try to do a specific thing for my individual success," Wiggins explained in his exit interview last season, "I want to be a part of a winning team. I want to be a part of a winning culture. And I want to maximize obviously my level of play, but also others'."

That mindset was certainly a reason as to why Oklahoma City extended the 25-year-old to a five-year, $47 million at the start of the free agency period. It knows he's the type of player they can rely on to perform for the entirety of the deal because he's consistently produced at a quality level.

If the Thunder were to struggle with injury issues next season, Wiggins is a plenty desirable option to take on a bigger role. At times he was forced to last year for various reasons, and when he did, he usually performed to the standards asked of him. Having players who can step up in emergencies is important for contenders, so locking him in was a priority.

When asked what he needed to improve on over the offseason, Wiggins had several areas he wanted to work on. Ball handling, shooting, lateral quickness, physicality, all the areas you'd expect. But like any player across the league, becoming a better player is always the goal.

"You work on the things you need to work on as an individual, but at the end of the day, you want to come back a better player," Wiggins said, "a noticeably better player."

Through the last three years, Wiggins has established himself as a player Oklahoma City was to keep around its growing core. Not only is he going to be important in working to regain the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but making it deeper in the playoffs, too.

Reliability is underrated in the modern NBA. Not every player is built to be a star, but not every player realizes that. Wiggins has accepted that he's just a role player, but that being said, it doesn't take away from the skills he can continue to bring to the Thunder.

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