While much of the focus surrounded Jimmy Butler’s return to Miami, it was Andrew Wiggins who got revenge on his former team as the Heat crushed the Golden State Warriors in a 112-86 victory at Kayesa Center on Tuesday.
Wiggins was a much improved defender throughout his time with the Warriors, and that was on full display as the Canadian played a big role in his former team’s offensive woes. Wiggins was a big part of the Warriors for five years, turning himself from a draft bust into an incredibly valuable two-way player who was named an All-Star in 2022 and was a critical part of Golden State’s championship just months later.
The Canadian didn’t do much wrong when it came to the franchise’s decision to trade him for Butler in early February. In fact, if not for his strong bounce-back to form with the Warriors to start the season, his value may not have reached a point where Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office was able to move Wiggins for a player of Butler’s calibre.
It was just that Golden State realized that in 2025 with the ever-growing compilation of talent around the league, they needed a more proven second star to support Stephen Curry and get the best out of whatever remaining prime the 2x MVP has left.
An Andrew Wiggins-Warriors reunion should be on the table someday
It was easy to see before and after Tuesday’s game that there’s still plenty of love between Wiggins and his former teammates/coaches. A number of Golden State players embraced Wiggins following Miam’s victory, including veterans Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Head coach Steve Kerr started the week with a heart-felt statement on Wiggins who entered Tuesday’s game off a near career-high 42-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
“We can’t wait to see him (Wiggins) tomorrow and hopefully he doesn’t give us 42 (points) but I root for that guy and I will for the rest of his career,” Kerr told 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs on Monday. “Everybody loves Wiggs. Just an incredible human being and we miss him around here.”
Forever a champ with #DubNation
Great to see you @22wiggins pic.twitter.com/fRn5jtOLzk
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 26, 2025
The ironic aspect is that Wiggins would probably still be a great fit in Golden State right now, with his three-and-D skillset a nice complement to Curry and Butler, while his supplementary isolation scoring would be useful but not completely necessary.
Unlike Butler’s relationship with Miami which ended under tumultuous circumstances, you’d suggest that there’s still enough to love between Wiggins and Golden State to suggest that a reunion could be possible in the future.
That’s not to say it will happen, but at just 30-years-old Wiggins is still young enough where he could return to the Warriors in a similar but much more significant manner to what we saw with Gary Payton II a couple of years ago.
