He arrived to the Warriors labeled as a player who never reached his potential as a former No. 1 overall draft pick, and left as someone who always should be revered by the fan base, the same way he was by teammates, coaches and the entire locker room.

Headlines will be centered around the Warriors and Miami Heat reportedly agreeing to a trade Wednesday that brings Jimmy Butler to Golden State, but Andrew Wiggins will not be forgotten.

The human element of the NBA trade deadline can be cruel. Wiggins was on the Delta Center floor getting shots up before the Warriors were set to play the Utah Jazz, when word began spreading of his new reality. Wiggins was about to be on the move again.

Warriors assistant coach Jacob Rubin wrapped his arms around Wiggins, hugging his now former player. Soon after, Warriors players warming up were sent back to the locker room. Media members were kicked out of their allotted locker-room time and coach Steve Kerr addressed a group that had to say goodbye to four players they’ve grown close with, some longer than others.

“Wiggs just had a baby boy last week,” a dejected Kerr told reporters after the Warriors crumbled in the final three minutes and lost to the Jazz, 131-128. “Wiggs is one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. Just a beautiful soul. Just a wonderful human being.

“We don’t hang that banner in ‘22 without him. Everything he brings every single day – the laughter, the smile, the joy – just a wonderful human being. I’m going to miss him.”

Not one for many words and long answers at the podium, Wiggins was loved the moment he became a Warrior. He wasn’t low maintenance, he was no maintenance. His smile seemed to have an extra gleam and a little more shine than anybody else. And with the respect Wiggins earned and gave, the Warriors stuck by him.

Through him wrestling with his vaccination status ahead of what became Wiggins’ first NBA All-Star season and first time being able to call himself a champion. Through him missing chunks of games due to personal reasons that centered around his now late father.

Coaches loved him. Veteran players loved him. Young players loved him.

There were tears from the Warriors in the Jazz’s visiting locker room, and taking Wiggins away from the team had to be a major reason why.

“Very sad moment, obviously, just an hour before tip-off, we lost four of our brothers,” Podziemski told Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike on the NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast. “So it was sad. There were some tears but at the end of the day, we have to do our job. We’re just doing it for them.”

🚨 WIGGINS POSTER ALERT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/tjj7Q7PdPI

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 23, 2022

Players and coaches left from that championship season certainly will always remember.

Wiggins also was playing some of the best basketball of his career. He has scored 20 or more points 17 times this season, and seven came in January. For the month, Wiggins averaged 19.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as Jonathan Kuminga missed all but two games.

To open February, Wiggins dropped 25 points and was a plus-15 in a five-point win against the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

All the memories of two-way Wiggins in the Warriors’ 2022 NBA playoff run forever will live in the lore of Golden State. His emphatic dunk on Luka Dončić in the Western Conference finals? Play it on repeat. Highlights of him locking up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown while soaring for rebounds and scoring points whenever they were needed in the NBA Finals? Never forget.

Players and coaches left from that championship season certainly will always remember.

The scene ahead of Wednesday night’s game was odd for personal and professional reasons. Routines were thrown off and the Warriors started the game terribly. Reflecting after the game, their superstar leader was happy to have one last moment with four players who no longer will be Warriors, the most notable of the group being Wiggins.

“I’m glad the way we did it looking back, to have that moment with our team in the locker room, just us talking,” Steph Curry said. “For Wiggs especially. The amount of time he’s been here, what he meant to our team and our franchise to help us climb the mountain top again back in ‘22.

“He changed a lot for us for the better, and I hope his experience with us changed a lot for him as well. He’s got a lot of basketball left in him, obviously.”

Wiggins came to the Warriors tagged as an overrated player who wasn’t going to be a fit, and leaves five years later as an underrated champion who always will be beloved by those who played with him, as he should be by those who cheered for him.