Former Men's Maryland Basketball Player Aaron Wiggins Traded To The Atlanta Hawks

The NBA 2025-26 season came to an end only nine days ago, with the New York Knicks crowned NBA Champions over the San Antonio Spurs. However, for the former champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the time to make moves for next season starts now.

OKC dealt former Maryland Terrapins men's basketball player, Aaron Wiggins, to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for two future second-round picks, as reported by ESPN's Shams yesterday evening.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are finalizing a trade to send guard Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks for two second-round picks (Atlanta's in 2030 and the least favorable of Hawks/Lakers in 2032), sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ypffJ3jMOk
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2026

The second-round picks that Oklahoma City receives from Atlanta are Atlanta's 2030 second-round pick and a conditional pick from either the Hawks or the Los Angeles Lakers in 2032, depending on which is the least favorable.

This is not a surprise given Oklahoma City's depth this season and Wiggins falling out of the rotation as the team became healthy and headed into the playoffs. The emergence of Ajay Mitchell on the offensive side, Cason Wallace expanding his rotational role as a three-and-d guy, and Alex Caruso providing the do-it-all veteran presence were all key factors in OKC's depth. It also led to fellow guard Isaiah Joe seeing a decrease in his minutes.

Wiggins was drafted back in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft out of Maryland, where in five seasons, he was a part of the rebuild in Oklahoma City that led them to becoming one of the best teams in the league.

Wiggins averaged 12.0 points, 1.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, shooting 38% from three during the regular season of the Thunder's title season in 2024-25, and 6.0 points in 13.8 minutes during that extended postseason run.

What does the move do for Oklahoma City?

By trading Wiggins, OKC will lower its expected $213 million luxury tax bill down to $152 million. It was important for OKC to shed some salary, especially with three max contracts kicking in next season at 40+ million each between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams.

The Thunder have three players with team options heading into the summer: Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Kenrich Williams. The question will be whether OKC accepts all three player options or declines them and reworks new deals for the 2026-27 NBA season.

How does the trade benefit Wiggins moving forward?

Wiggins joins a new-look, younger Atlanta Hawks core that moved on from longtime franchise player Trae Young during the season. Atlanta finished with a 46-36 overall record and took the eventual champion, Knicks, to six games in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Hawks' main core consists of: Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu, and Zaccharie Risacher. McCollum just signed a one-year, $21 million extension yesterday to stay with the team next season. Wiggins can provide the team with perimeter shooting and floor spacing on offense, while also being able to guard 1-3 on defense with his size and 6-foot-10 wingspan.

This season, in 65 games with the Thunder, Wiggins averaged 9.4 points, 1.7 assists, and 3.1 rebounds, shooting 43.1% from the field and 35.6% from three-point range. Through January and February, Wiggins saw his most significant playing time with injuries to SGA, Williams, Holmgren, Caruso, Joe, and Wallace.

Aaron Wiggins bag work/tough buckets

Excited to see what he can do in Atlanta pic.twitter.com/U2Zi71ObDY
— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) June 22, 2026

We're looking forward to watching Wiggins in a new setting, contributing to another young and rising team next season.

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