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Tuesday update: Wiggins is officially listed out for Golden State in Tuesday’s game but as previously reported, he will be in attendance and has rejoined the team.
Update: Charania is now reporting Wiggins is unlikely to play Tuesday, but he had earlier mentioned the forward will be in attendance. So Wiggins is going to be with the team, but likely needs a few days to ramp up his conditioning again. The most likely spot for his return will be Friday against the Kings, although the Warriors could opt to hold him out entirely for the rest of the regular season.
Update: According to Shams Charania, Wiggins plans to attend Warriors-Thunder Tuesday. The wording is a bit off, but it seems like the small forward plans on being available for that contest. He’s surely going to have a minutes limit given the time away from the court but he could get some playing time if the game is a blowout.
Golden State's Andrew Wiggins plans to attend Warriors-Thunder on Tuesday. The reason for Wiggins' leave of absence since mid-February is that his father, Mitchell Wiggins, has been dealing with a serious medical situation, sources close to the situation say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 3, 2023
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is set to return to the team in the final week of the regular season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Wiggins had missed 21 games attending to a personal matter involving his family, and is now coming back at the perfect time for the Warriors.
ESPN Sources: Golden State Warriors All-Star forward Andrew Wiggins is nearing a return to the team and is expected to be back early this week. Wiggins has missed 21 games attending to a family matter. Huge boost for the defending champions and sixth seed in the West. pic.twitter.com/bQAw8ixINI
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 3, 2023
Wiggins will help on Golden State on the defensive end in particular, especially when the Warriors hit the road. The forward broke out in the postseason and was instrumental in Golden State’s NBA Finals run, putting up 20.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game over the last three games of the 4-2 series win.
With Wiggins coming back in, Jonathan Kuminga and Donte DiVincenzo will go back to the bench for the Warriors. This will help extend the rotation for Steve Kerr. The forward’s ability to rebound will also be crucial, especially since the Warriors don’t have much size outside of Draymond Green and Kevon Looney.
We’ll see exactly when Wiggins returns. If he doesn’t play Tuesday against the Thunder in San Francisco, he’ll likely suit up in Sacramento on Friday.