The Cleveland Cavaliers could have trade interest in Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins and Portland Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle, according to Hoops Wire’s Sam Amico.
Amico also mentioned Brooklyn Nets wings Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale as potential trade targets for the Cavs.
“Along with Finney-Smith and O’Neale, the Cavs could have trade interest in Trail Blazers guard/forward Matisse Thybulle and Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, who undoubtedly would not come cheap,” Amico wrote.
Wiggins was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Cavs, but he was traded in a deal that brought Kevin Love to Cleveland.
Now, Wiggins is with the Warriors, the team that he won a championship with in the 2021-22 season.
A one-time All-Star, Wiggins has played both a starting and bench role for the Warriors this season, and he’s struggled a bit with his shot. The forward is shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from beyond the arc in the 2023-24 campaign.
Wiggins is under contract with Golden State through the 2025-26 season, and he has a player option for the 2026-27 season. It’s possible that Cleveland views Wiggins as a wing upgrade that can help the team make a deep playoff run this season.
Right now, the Cavs have options like Max Strus, Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert to play alongside Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. It’s unclear what Golden State’s asking price would be for Wiggins, but Amico doesn’t believe that the veteran wing will come cheap.
Golden State could look to move Wiggins to open up more minutes for young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. The Warriors are off to a rough start in the 2023-24 season, sitting in the No. 12 spot in the Western Conference with a 17-20 record.
Out of the group of Wiggins, Thybulle, O’Neale and Finney-Smith, Wiggins is likely the biggest name that the Cavs appear to be interested in. Still, any of those wing players could give the team the depth it needs to make a playoff run this season.
Cleveland is looking to improve on last season’s first-round exit in the playoffs. It’s possible that bringing in a bigger wing that can defend like Wiggins, Finney-Smith, O’Neale or Thybulle will improve the team’s chances against some of the top squads in the East.
It’ll be interesting to see if Golden State is open to moving Wiggins as the trade deadline approaches this season.
