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.”
Steph Curry on saying goodbye to Andrew Wiggins, others leaving in the Jimmy Butler trade: pic.twitter.com/A5cYOuUT2f
— Danny Emerman (@DannyEmerman) February 6, 2025
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.”
Steve Kerr on Andrew Wiggins: “Just had a baby boy last week. Girls in school. Wiggs is one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. Just a wonderful soul. We don’t hang that banner in ‘22 without him…I’m gonna miss him.” pic.twitter.com/jR28a2SPQd
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 6, 2025
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.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steph Curry, Steve Kerr Had Classy Parting Moves for Andrew Wiggins After Trade.
