Fantasy Basketball Impact of Thunder's Trade of Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks
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The New York Knicks may not be far removed from their NBA Championship, but that does not mean that the league takes any breaks. The offseason is in full swing, and the trade stove is at a temperature. Giannis Antetokounmpo is said to be traded any hour now, as of June 22. Aaron Wiggins, on the other hand, has been traded in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks. What does that mean? Let's discuss.
Trade Details:
Hawks Received: Guard, Aaron Wiggins
Thunder Received: 2030, 2032 2nd Round Picks
Fantasy Basketball Impact
Wiggins' role in Oklahoma City has been a complementary bench role, in which he played 21.8 minutes per game. Wiggins ranked 7th on the 2025-26 Thunder in usage rate (19.4%). His specialties came from the 3-point range, in which Wiggins made 24.5% of the Thunder's 3-point field goals when in the game. Better yet, Wiggins was a presence on defense with a 21.1% steal rate and 19.6% block rate.
Despite landing in the new destination, Wiggins' role will remain the same. CJ McCollum returns to the Hawks, where he will start at point guard in a role with 25.7% usage, a mark he reached in 2026. The starting shooting guard will be Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who had a 23.0% usage rate and a 31.1% 3-point make rate. Alexander-Walker's skill set is not far from Wiggins'.
The Hawks lack any x-factor backup at the shooting guard position. They add Wiggins to fill that gap, entering a 2026-27 season with the Hawks, who are expected to be a second-tier Eastern Conference Contender.
Wiggins completed the 2025-26 fantasy basketball season as the SG45. He did so in a season with 65 games under his belt. If Wiggins can play 75+ games with the Hawks, he can rise to become an SG30-35 in fantasy basketball. Nonetheless, the deal does not make Wiggins rise in the game we all love.
Why the Trade Was Made?
Aaron Wiggins was stuck deep on the Thunder's depth chart. That made him expendable, as he played behind Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Cason Wallace.
The Hawks used their trade exception in this trade, meaning they could take on more salary than they were sending out while remaining under the salary cap.
The Thunder made this deal for financial reasons above all. The deal cut their projected luxury tax penalty from $213 million to $152 million. Wiggins was playing amidst a 5-year $45 million deal. It was simply not worth the money paid to keep Wiggins, who plays less than 50% of the team's minutes. The Thunder will also be drafting 12th overall in the June 23 NBA Draft.
The Hawks took advantage of the Thunder's situation and added a key rotational piece at a cheap cost.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.