After an ugly few months full of drama, the Miami Heat agreed to trade Jimmy Butler to the Warriors before the 2025 trade deadline. Two of the players that the Heat received in the deal, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell, are still in South Florida and are doing quite well, specifically Wiggins. It's almost like he knows what it takes to help a team contend for a title.
Golden State fans were apprehensive about Butler's arrival, given how his time ended, not just in Miami, but in his previous stops as well. Another reason was that it hurt to see Wiggins go, as he helped the Warriors win the 2022 title.
Wiggins finished the 2024-25 season averaging 19 points per game for Miami in 17 games, and the team's season ended in the first round of the playoffs. Most people didn't think the Heat would contend for a title in 2025-26, but with the first quarter of the season out of the way, Miami is No. 3 in the East with a 14-7 record.
The Andrew Wiggins addition has been key for the Heat
Wiggins is averaging 17.5 points, the fourth-most on the team (that includes Tyler Herro, who has played only four games), 5.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per game, shooting 49.6% from the field and 36.8% from three.
He looks more comfortable in Miami than he did in San Francisco at the end of his time there, where expectations weighed heavily not just on him, but on the team, as the Warriors pushed to win another title with Steph Curry. They made the trade for Butler to increase their odds of reaching the mountaintop again, but ironically, the Heat, who don't have a big-name NBA star, are playing better than Golden State.
Wiggins' two-way play would actually be a boost for the Warriors right now, which makes the trade look better for the Heat than most people anticipated. He fits in well in Erik Spoelstra's system, which isn't surprising, considering he's the kind of player who will do whatever it takes to help his team win.
It might not make sense to say that Wiggins' skill set is underrated, considering that his NBA career began in 2014 as the No. 1 draft pick, but what he brings to the table can be overlooked at times. He's not flashy, but he does get the job done, taking on tough defensive assignments, pulling down rebounds, and filling in on offense with whatever role he needs to play on any given night.
Wiggins is a winning player. Luckily, he's in Miami.