Through all the mayhem of draft night, OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti may have quietly picked up another hidden gem with the 55th pick with Maryland product Aaron Wiggins. He spent three years with the Maryland Terrapins refining his game to the point where he could be NBA ready.
The 6’ 6” wing was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in 2020 and this year continued his consistent form as a starter. For the Terrapins, Wiggins was the team’s second leader in practically every stat: 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 seals in 33 minutes per game.
OKC Thunder might have added another diamond in the rough
Wiggins is an athletic wing who likes to carve his way towards the basket. He curves his runs around defenders with a mixture of spin moves and hop steps before finding an avenue to put the ball up. And for the fun factor, Wiggins certainly isn’t afraid of a dunk or two.
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
As a shooter, Wiggins has a promising shooting form along with good percentage splits that indicate he could be at least an average shooter in the NBA. He isn’t afraid to let it fly either, in his final year, Wiggins put up over five triple attempts a game, hitting over 35-percent of them and while he does not get to the line a ton, he has shot 77-percent from the free-throw line.
If the Thunder choose to sign him, expect to see Wiggins spending most of his time with the OKC Blue in the G-league. If he does get playing time for the Thunder, supporting that second unit from the wing position with the likes of Theo Maledon will work best for his skillset.
Finding NBA talent this late in the draft is no easy task, but Aaron Wiggins has all the physical capabilities in his favor. It is possible that he could log some NBA minutes this season as the Thunder test out all the young prospects they have.