Following a disheartening postseason that saw his role shrink, Aaron Wiggins could be on the move for the first time in his NBA career. After spending five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and developing into one of the organization's best success stories, Wiggins has become one of the most trade-rumored player in the league as the Thunder prepare for an expensive roster crunch.
The former Maryland wing saw his role diminish dramatically late in the season and during the playoffs. After averaging a career-high 12.0 points per game during Oklahoma City's championship season in 2024-25, Wiggins slipped to 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists this past year while shooting a career-worst 43.1 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from three-point range.
Much of that production came early in the season before injuries and inconsistency slowed his momentum. By the postseason, he was largely out of the rotation. Wiggins logged fewer than 10 minutes in eight of Oklahoma City's 11 playoff games and was a healthy scratch four times, including Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against San Antonio.
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Given his talent, youth and relatively cheap contract, he's been rumored as a trade target for what seems like half of the teams in the league. The Rockets, Pistons, Celtics, Sixers and Lakers are just a few of the teams mentioned as possible landing spots. Bleacher Report, meantime, suggested a blockbuster trade proposal that would send him back to where he played his college ball, with the Wizards sending the No. 1 pick and Anthony Davis to Oklahoma City for Wiggins, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace.
That seems like an extreme longshot, but Wiggins being moved somewhere does not.
At his exit interview after never leaving the bench in Game Seven of the Western Conference finals, Wiggins acknowledged the frustration of seeing his role shrink.
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"Nothing is permanent. A lot of things change from day to day and obviously, year to year," Wiggins said. "As the end of the season and that last stretch, I wasn't my best self. I obviously wasn't seeing the minutes that I might be capable of seeing. But from a team perspective, still being a professional, buying into the team and being around guys who I love supporting and being with. It makes it easy to come in and embrace the togetherness of the team first."
Despite the reduced role, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised Wiggins for how he handled the situation.
"Like a total pro, just like everybody else," Daigneault said. "I think all these guys' willingness to accept their role at a given point in time, which is not permanent. It changes constantly."
Money circumstances have fueled speculation that Oklahoma City could move Wiggins this summer. The Thunder are entering a new phase financially. Max contract extensions for stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Jalen Williams are either already in place or about to begin, creating pressure on a roster that has become one of the deepest in the NBA. League observers have increasingly identified Wiggins and fellow reserve Isaiah Joe as two of the most likely trade candidates as Oklahoma City looks to manage future payroll commitments.
Wiggins remains on one of the league's more team-friendly deals. He is owed $9.2 million next season, $8.3 million in 2027-28 and has a team option worth $8.3 million in 2028-29. For an athletic wing man who's a factor on both ends of the court, and who averaged double figures and shot nearly 50 percent from the field as recently as last season, that contract makes him attractive to a number of teams looking for wing depth.
A move might ultimately benefit both sides.
Wiggins has proven he can be a productive rotation player when given consistent minutes. During Oklahoma City's title run in 2024-25, he averaged 12.0 points while shooting 49 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three. At 27 years old, he's entering what should be the prime years of his career, and a fresh opportunity could provide a path back to a larger role.
For Oklahoma City, moving Wiggins would create additional financial flexibility while opening roster spots for younger players on one of the NBA's deepest teams.
It would be the end of a remarkable run for one of the Thunder's best developmental success stories. Selected with the 55th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Wiggins went from a two-way contract player to a reliable rotation piece on a championship contender.
Wiggins averaged 10.4 points and 4.9 rebounds as a sophomore at Maryland, earning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors as Maryland shared another Big Ten regular-season title in 2019-20. As a junior, he became Maryland's leading scorer, averaging 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists while playing a team-high 33 minutes per game. He was especially dominant down the stretch, averaging nearly 18 points over his final 12 games and helping carry the Terps into the NCAA Tournament.
His signature performance came against Alabama in the second round when he scored a career-high 27 points. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition and finished his Maryland career with 1,052 points and 172 three-pointers.
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