Aaron Wiggins Vying to be the Next Thunder Two-Way Player to Earn NBA Contract
Deonte Burton. Luguentz Dort. Moses Brown.
Oklahoma City Thunder second round pick Aaron Wiggins hopes to join that list, all guys who joined the Thunder on a two-way deal and had their contract converted to a full fledged NBA deal.
The former Maryland Terrapin got off to a great start in his quest during Sunday’s Summer League opener, and he hopes to continue the good play tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Coming off the bench, Wiggins scored 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting, adding five rebounds, an assist and three steals against the Pistons.
Just as in college, Wiggins did most of his damage from the mid-range, failing to make either of his two attempts from 3-point range on Sunday night.
Despite the shrinking use of the mid-range in the NBA, Wiggins said during his introductory press conference that it’s a part of his game he hopes to continue to utilize in the NBA.
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“That’s just a part of my game,” Wiggins said. “It’s something that I continue to work on even though maybe it’s something that’s trending downward in the NBA.
“It’s something that I always have. I think I have the ability to shoo the outside ball.”
As Burton, Dort and Brown all learned, great production on the defensive end of the floor is a great way to force your way into the rotation and try to earn an NBA deal.
Wiggins was crisp on his rotations and didn’t seem to be lost on the floor agains the Pistons, and he was billed as a potential 3-and-D guy coming out fo the draft, so he should have the defensive mettle to come in and compete on that end of the floor in Oklahoma City.
“We’ve been really impressed with him defensively,” OKC Blue head coach and Thunder Summer League coach Grant Gibbs said after the contest on Sunday. “He’s really quickly picked up on our help rotations and our schemes like someone who’s been here for longer than he has.
“He’s had a really good camp, we’ve been really impressed with his ability to play on both ends.”
As the 2020 Big 10 Sixth Man of the Year, Wiggins is accustomed to his role coming off the bench, a path he’ll continue to try and make his own for Oklahoma City in 2021.
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