Aaron Wiggins should not be on the OKC Thunder roster bubble

The Oklahoma City Thunder have hit a bit of a roster crunch as the current group sits at the maximum number of players for the offseason, 20. Even after buying out JaMychal Green, Sam Presti’s job does not get much easier. The OKC Thunder will still have to waive three players on a standard NBA contract (everyone on the 20-player roster besides Eugene Omoruyi and Lindy Waters III, who are on a two-way contract). One name that should be sharpie’d into the opening night roster, is Aaron Wiggins.

The names on the roster bubble will be about the same for everyone, sure, some people will always try to conjure up hot takes, but the field seems pretty narrow. You have likely already heard the names thrown out there. Derrick Favors, Theo Maledon, Vit Krejci, and even at times, Aaron Wiggins. Plus, Presti could get creative and possibly package, but that seems unlikely right now with the roster decisions.

While we will spend the entire offseason, training camp, and pre-season periods bickering about which combination is the right three to let go, Aaron Wiggins should not be brought to the chopping block by the Thunder or fans.

The Oklahoma City Thunder should move Aaron Wiggins off the roster bubble, and firmly into their future plans

Aaron Wiggins was selected 55th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, coming in at 23 years old the Maryland product signed a two-way contract and earned a standard NBA deal after the NBA Trade Deadline. In his rookie year, Wiggins showed off stellar defense while averaging 8 points, three rebounds, an assist, and half a steal per game on 30 percent shooting from distance.

Wiggins battled an injury last year but still played in 50 games, starting 35 of them for Mark Daigneault’s squad.

During the Vegas summer league, Aaron Wiggins shot 42 percent from three-point land a great follow-up after shooting a jaw-dropping 75 percent in Salt Lake City (two-game sample). While it was only five games, the wing certainly showed his value on both ends of the floor.

Aaron Wiggins is a versatile defender, he plays well in transition, can knock down shots, and is fantastic at cutting to the rim. Those skills do not just fall out of the sky, especially not on a value deal. Wiggins is currently under team control for three more seasons, including this year at 1.5-million, next year at 1.8-million, and the third season coming in as a 1.9-million dollar team option.

Wiggins shot 65 percent at the rim (ranking in the 56th percentile in the NBA) and 48 percent in the mid-range (which ranks in the 87th percentile in the NBA, slotting him top-15 for his position according to Cleaning the Glass).