Despite playing as few minutes per game as possible last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder rewarded the fourth-year forward Aaron Wiggins during the off-season.
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 backup in the Modern Frontier.
While Wiggins’ stats aren’t impressive, the 2.08-meter wing has been a significant contributor as a backup in 2023-24, making big plays in crucial moments for the Thunder. Wiggins’ most memorable moment last year came in the Western Conference Semifinals, when the Maryland product stepped in and scored 16 points while missing just two shots in a Game 1 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Additionally, Wiggins is excellent at cutting to the basket and has managed to get a handful of easy baskets by moving to the basket at the perfect time.
Aaron Wiggins’ projected contract breakdown 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*not sure if everything is guaranteed or if it’s an option. Still a good deal* pic.twitter.com/4IrXQhAVlQ
— La Cloche de Daniel© (@BasketballGuruD) July 1, 2024
In addition to moving well without the ball, Wiggins is a versatile player who can fill a variety of roles for OKC.
In his third year as a pro, Wiggins’ biggest improvement came from beyond the arc, where the Thunder forward hit 49.2 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Now, heading into his fourth year in Oklahoma City, Wiggins will have to continue to fight for court time with the Thunder by adding Alex Caruso during the offseason and the likely improvement of promising 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 an excellent passer from the high position and should be able to find Wiggins on cuts to the basket.
Additionally, with Hartenstein not being an active three-point shooter, the team will need Wiggins on the court to help maintain space with a more reliable three-point shooter. After shooting such a high percentage last season, there’s a good chance Wiggins will be called upon to take even more three-point shots this year.
While he won’t see much of an increase in minutes from the 2023-24 campaign, Wiggins should benefit from playing in an even better offense in 2024-25.
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