We are inching closer and closer to the NBA trade deadline, now just over two weeks away from February 5. The Bucks haven’t pulled the trigger on anything yet, but with all the rumors swirling, it’s definitely
possible we see some action before then. In the meantime, we here at Brew Hoop have been presenting our candidates for the Bucks and GM Jon Horst to target. We’ve already identified five players for consideration, but now I’m throwing in a sixth, as we take a look at Andrew Wiggins.
The Player
Andrew Wiggins, 6’7”, 210 lbs. wing
Season averages: 15.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG, .465/.398/.775
This is now the third player from the 2014 NBA draft we’ve presented, as Wiggins was the no. 1 pick that year to the Timberwolves. The Bucks just missed on acquiring Wiggins’ services in that draft, instead selecting Jabari Parker at two. After five and a half seasons in Minnesota with just one playoff appearance, the T-Wolves traded Wiggins to the Warriors. There, he fit in perfectly next to Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson as a do-it-all small forward. In his second full season with Golden State, he earned his first and only All-Star appearance and helped them win the 2022 title. After their time together in Minneapolis, Wiggins and Jimmy Butler crossed paths again, but this time they were traded for each other, with Wiggins heading to Miami and Butler to the Bay.
With Miami, Wiggins has firmly cemented himself as the same do-it-all player he became in Golden State: a good secondary scorer and perimeter defender. He’s shooting a career best 39.8% from beyond the arc on decent volume (4.8 attempts per game), and is capable of creating a shot in the midrange, shooting 36% from 10 feet to the three-point line. When asked to handle the rock this season, he’s been a decent playmaker, averaging the second-most assists per game of his career (2.8). Per Cleaning The Glass, the Heat’s offense is scoring 1.4 more points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor.
Wiggins is a strong perimeter defender and could take on opponents’ best wing or bigger guards. He gets into the passing lane and affects shots, averaging 2.2 steals plus blocks per game, also a career high. His advanced numbers don’t look great, though: opposing teams score 4.6 more points per 100 with Wiggins on the court. That number could be inflated by the Heat’s lagging offense, which ranks 20th (113.5 offensive rating). Overall, they sit 10th in the league in defensive rating at 112.8.
Regardless, Wiggins would undoubtedly be a solid improvement for the Bucks, bringing more consistent offense and defense alongside Giannis. So it’s no surprise that the Bucks were linked to Wiggins last year before he was traded to Miami, and in several reports this season. This one was courtesy of ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel:
“Wiggins, who was drawing interest from the Bucks over the summer, continues to be a name associated with Milwaukee’s trade deadline plans. From the Heat’s perspective, though, they seem to be working on their own plans to upgrade their roster, and it’s unknown whether Miami would surrender Wiggins in a trade that doesn’t land them an All-Star-level player like Giannis or someone else.“
The Trade
To even get this trade off the ground, the Bucks likely have to invite a third party. Outside of Giannis, the Bucks don’t have the type of player Miami wants. To facilitate the deal, the Nets are added to the equation. The Bucks’ part in this would actually be the second of two separate deals that essentially turn into one big deal, much like how Jericho Sims was attached to last year’s Kyle Kuzma-Khris Middleton swap.
In the first half of the trade, Miami snags the hottest commodity on the trade market in Michael Porter Jr. in exchange for Wiggins, Terry Rozier’s expiring contract, and their unprotected 2029 first-round pick, also getting Tyrese Martin as a salary filler. Then the Nets re-route Wiggins to the Bucks for Kyle Kuzma and Andre Jackson Jr. This puts the Nets over the 15-man roster limit, so they’d have to cut someone—likely the injured Haywood Highsmith—to stay in compliance.
Now, I know some will question why the Bucks are seemingly helping a team above them in the standings (Miami leads Milwaukee by 3.5 games for the 8th seed). But this isn’t the Bucks coming to Miami and Brooklyn with this trade offer. They swoop in after Miami acquires Porter, offer Kuzma and AJax to Brooklyn, and re-route Wiggins, who has a player option decision this summer, to Milwaukee. The Nets get an easier contract to move off of, and Wiggins gets to finish this season on a team that is gunning for the playoffs. Miami offers Brooklyn a future first and an expiring contract. Every team gets something they want.
But the Bucks themselves have been linked to Porter, so why wouldn’t they get the better player? They have only their 2031 or 2032 first-round picks to offer. The Nets, should they choose to trade Porter, appear to want a first-round pick (or more) in return. That’s the market for a 27-year-old wing who’s averaging 25+ points per game. As good as Porter is, the Bucks don’t have the right kind of pick to deal. If they owned any of their draft picks from 2027–2030, that would make more sense for Porter. Giannis will be 36 going on 37 in 2031; I see it as unlikely that the Bucks even trade that pick anyway, considering they’ve been unwilling to move it dating back to last season.
Wiggins, while a good player, wouldn’t command giving up 2031, even if the trade was strictly between Miami and Milwaukee. But the Bucks have to make some moves to improve this roster. If they’re eyeing the more distant future without Giannis and don’t want to give up that pick, then this is the type of deal to make. I’m not the only one who feels this way, as according to Jamal Collier of ESPN, that’s where much of the league sees how the Bucks are going to improve:
“It’s where rival executives see the biggest chance for opportunity in Milwaukee. The Bucks can accept a larger contract with multiple years beyond this season that an opposing team might be trying to get out from under, such as Miami‘s Andrew Wiggins, who owns a $30 million player option for next season, or Charlotte‘s Miles Bridges, who will make $22.8 million in the 2026-27 season, team and league sources told ESPN.“
This may not be the best offer the Nets get for Porter, but there are things to like about it. Adding a future first-round pick in 2029 would bring their total to four that season: the Nets would have their own first, the Knicks’, and the least favorable of the Rockets, Mavericks, and Suns. Provided that the Nets are a contending team around that time, they could use those picks as ammunition to trade for a star. As for the players, Rozier is an expiring deal that they can wash their hands of this summer. Kuzma can be a decent contributor in the short term, and he will be on an expiring contract next season, which the Nets could flip for more assets. AJax is a young defender that they could take a flyer on.
The Fit
Wiggins could realistically fit with every team in the league. With his experience and production, he would be a particularly welcome sight in Milwaukee. He’s an above-average three-point shooter and doesn’t need the ball in his hands all the time to create offense. In some ways, he reminds me of a lesser Khris Middleton: a good player who makes winning plays. I’m not trying to say Wiggins is as good on offense as Middleton was, but his qualities make him a good fit for a championship-contending roster.
Teams wouldn’t be able to sag off Wiggins in the half-court like they could with someone like Miles Bridges. As I mentioned earlier, Wiggins is having his most efficient season from distance in his career, and not just on-ball: 3.7 of Wiggins’ 4.8 three-point attempts per game are off the catch, and he’s converting those at 42%. Wiggins is also consistent, which would be a welcome change for the Bucks. Too many players are volatile from game to game to be relied on in big spots. Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. have been scuffling in January, and you can’t rely on your backup center to be the second leading scorer.
Wiggins may also help the Bucks’ rebounding, averaging nearly five per game. Compared to some of the other wings we’ve discussed (LaVine, Bridges, Jerami Grant), Wiggins slots in much better as the starting small forward next to Giannis. Finally, he’s a pretty durable player who has played at least 73% of games every year of his career except for one. That was 2022–23, when he missed 22 straight games because his father, former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins, was going through a serious medical issue, and the younger Wiggins stepped away from the team.
Are you okay with jumping into a deal that makes the Heat better if it means the Bucks can still get Wiggins and keep the 2031 first-round pick? Or would you rather the Bucks go for it and outbid the Heat? Let me know in the comments below.
