3 best Aaron Wiggins trade destinations as Thunder look to clear salary

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The Oklahoma City Thunder’s depth was unmatched this season. The team legitimately had 13 or 14 players who would be in almost every team’s rotation around the league. Aaron Wiggins was a standout of the team’s depth. On some nights with the team, he has operated as one of their top scorers. At other times, a lack of available minutes has forced him out of the lineup altogether, which was often the case during the playoffs.

Now, the Thunder are projected to be well above the second apron next season, so they are likely going to make cost-cutting moves in order to get their finances in check. The team has 15 players under contract next season, so multiple players, including Wiggins, will be on the trading block this offseason.

Wiggins is signed to a front-loaded contract that pays him less than $10 million over each of the next three seasons. He not only gets cheaper season by season, but he is a solid three-level scorer who can play solid defense. If Wiggins is indeed put on the trading block, there will be suitors, but what are the Maryland product’s best trade fits?

The Western Conference Finals proved that the 76ers have given up on players too quickly in recent years. They traded Jared McCain this year in what was his second season, despite the fact that he was in the Rookie of the Year race prior to an injury last year. McCain then became a key contributor on none other than the defending champion Thunder. The Thunder were, of course, bested by the San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals. One of the Spurs’ starters, Julian Champagnie, was a recent release of the 76ers, too.

The 76ers would have surely loved to have either of those players still around. Since that can’t happen, they need to find a hidden gem of their own. If the Thunder give up on Wiggins, Philadelphia needs to be the team to capitalize, as he can certainly offer much more given a change of scenery.

The 76ers already have a number of great scorers. Joel Embiid is an MVP-caliber player who has only been limited by injuries, and Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are rising stars. Even Paul George is still a great scorer, although he has regressed significantly in recent years. The team needs help off the bench, though, and Wiggins has excelled in his bench scoring role on a Thunder team with plenty of star power. In Philadelphia, Wiggins could take on a bigger role when the team’s stars inevitably suffer injuries, and he could scale back down when they are healthy.

Aaron Wiggins could help the Utah Jazz take the next step Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz spent the better part of the 2025-26 season vying for draft positioning, not wins. The team will be ready to contend as soon as next season, though. The number two overall pick will join a preexisting core of Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Walker Kessler, and Jaren Jackson Jr., the latter of whom was added at the NBA trade deadline.

The Jazz will need role players to round out their rotation. Particularly, they need scorers who can pick up the slack when the young players suffer growing pains and off nights. They also need perimeter defenders. Jackson and Kessler will defend the paint well, but the Jazz ranked last in points against this season.

Wiggins can provide a scoring boost and point-of-attack defense for the Jazz. The Western Conference is stacked, and the Jazz need to continue adding weapons if they are to truly contend with the rest of the pack.

The Los Angeles Clippers have a new backcourt duo with plenty of scoring pop in Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin. Kawhi Leonard is still in town getting buckets, too. The team was just on the outside looking in on the playoff picture, though, so they need reinforcements to get back into the postseason.

Wiggins makes a lot of sense as a trade target for the Clippers. There is a good chance that Los Angeles will decline the team option on Bogdan Bogdanovic’s contract, and Nicolas Batum isn’t getting any younger, so there are wing minutes available in Los Angeles.

Wiggins is a career 8.7 point-per-game scorer. Heading into year six, he is ready for a bigger role. Mark Daignault’s postseason rotations proved that Wiggins likely isn’t a part of the Thunder’s long-term plans, so if a salary dump comes to fruition, the Clippers should jump all over the chance to add Wiggins to their roster.

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