Andrew Wiggins received a warm embrace from his former Warriors teammates.
On Tuesday night, Jimmy Butler’s return to Kaseya Center for the first time since the Miami Heat traded him away to the Golden State Warriors dominated the headlines. This was understandable, considering how unceremonious Butler’s stint with the team ended. But an underrated subplot of this game was that this was also Andrew Wiggins’ first time facing the Warriors after a successful five and a half-year stint with the team.
In the end, it was Wiggins and the Heat that got the last laugh over the Warriors, taking a victory in blowout fashion, 112-86. But unlike Butler, who did his fair share of bridge-burning to end his stay in South Beach, it’s clear that Wiggins remains beloved among the Warriors players, with Stephen Curry leading the way for those who gave the 30-year-old a warm embrace in a heartwarming reunion.
Forever a champ with #DubNation
Great to see you @22wiggins pic.twitter.com/fRn5jtOLzk
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 26, 2025
Steph and Draymond show Wiggs some love postgame 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/5ZM7zyi6FG
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 26, 2025
Things may change rather swiftly in the NBA, but flags fly forever. For the Warriors, Wiggins was an essential part of their roster over the past half-decade or so, and especially during their NBA championship run in 2022. For that alone, he will always be beloved by Curry, Draymond Green, and everyone he shared a locker room with during that time.
With the Warriors wanting to compete for another championship, they had to make a seismic change in the form of acquiring Butler via trade from the Heat, and such a maneuver required them to give Wiggins up. There is no room for sentiment in building a championship contender, but even Curry admitted that losing Wiggins in the manner that they did brought forth an emotional ordeal for the entire Dubs team.
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Nonetheless, Wiggins is now in a new chapter of his career, and the Heat will look to continue righting the ship as they win their second consecutive game to get themselves back on track after a disastrous 10-game losing skid.
Can Heat’s Andrew Wiggins have another second wind in his career?
When the Warriors acquired Andrew Wiggins in 2020, his stock was at an all-time low. His career had plateaued with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and his contract, at that point, was viewed as one of the worst in the league. But with the Warriors, Wiggins learned how to play winning basketball, learning how to sacrifice by focusing on being a 3-and-D contributor above everything else.
Over the past few seasons, Wiggins has had his fair share of struggles, dealing with injury woes and personal problems. The Heat will be looking at Wiggins, however, to be more of a go-to-guy in the immediate future, as they look to retool the team around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
