KEY POINTS

  • Andrew Wiggins prefers to stay with the Warriors once his contract expires
  • Wiggin has proven detractors wrong with his recent performance in the playoffs
  • NBA teams may have a hard time plucking Wiggins from the Warriors

Andrew Wiggins has been criticized for his NBA performance over the past years.

This followed him when he joined the Golden State Warriors, with some believing that he is not worth the salary he is getting.

The 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year proved his detractors wrong, particularly with his NBA playoff performance.

He is now a one-time NBA champion, and the 27-year-old Canadian is savoring every minute of it.

For the 2022-23 season, Wiggins will be playing once more with the Dubs. However, it will be the last year of the original five-year, $147.7 million deal he signed during the 2018-19 season.

This coming NBA season, he will be playing the final year of his deal and will earn $33.6 million.

Once that runs out, the top pick of the 2014 NBA Draft will become an unrestricted free agent.

Next summer, multiple teams could try and pitch an offer to lure Wiggins to their end.

But for now, it appears that the 6-foot-7 cager prefers to stay in Golden State.

During the exit interviews on Saturday, Wiggins appeared happy with the Warriors and pointed out how he became at home with the team.

"I would love to stay here," Wiggins said as quoted by ESPN. "Being here, this is top-notch. The way they treat the players... we're all one big family. I feel like a lot of places may say that, but they show it through their actions."

Wiggins also shed light on the flak he received with some even calling him lazy at times.

"People didn't think I could ever be in this position or even be helpful on a championship team. But I'm proving the doubters wrong and I'm going to keep it going," Wiggins shared.

Wiggins, despite playing alongside a star-studded lineup, showed he could co-exist with the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

In 73 regular-season games, the Canadian cager normed 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 rebounds in 31.9 minutes of action.

Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors
Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates with th Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after defeating the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Game Six of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 16, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. Elsa/Getty Images