Two NBA scouts, others assess Andrew Wiggins and what Heat received this week
Two veteran NBA scouts who have seen a lot of Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kyle Anderson gave the Heat high marks for its trade-deadline maneuvering that sent disgruntled Jimmy Butler to Golden State and three players and a first-round pick to Miami.
“It’s a good return,” said one longtime scout for an Eastern Conference team. “Everyone knew Jimmy had to be traded. They had no leverage and they had to trade him. They got a starter with Wiggins, a quality backup with Mitchell. The fit is pretty good with both. They get the first-round pick, too. I give them a B at least. Just to get rid of Butler was important; talk about addition by subtraction with the way he was acting.”
How the scouts, one from the Eastern Conference and one from the Western Conference, assessed the two players, offered on condition of anonymity because their teams don’t permit them to speak publicly:
▪ Eastern scout on Wiggins:
“He’s had a very nice year. Above average three-point shooter except for the one year” when he shot 33.2 percent in 2019-20. He has shot between 36 and 39.6 percent on threes every season since.
“Is he a go-to player in the Jimmy Butler sense? No. But he does have some self-creating ability, and he’s a solid defender both on and off the ball. Average passer. He got a little undersold because of last year. People thought he was declining, but he’s now back to his old form. Is he a good No. 3 option on a good team? Probably. Solid, above average NBA starter.”
▪ Western scout on Wiggins:
“He’s a freak athlete. There’s never been any question about his talent. It’s kind of like the same question with Kel’el Ware. Can the motor always work? That’s the question with Wiggins. When the motor is working, he’s much more talented athletically than Jimmy in my opinion. Much more. Don’t misunderstand that, I’m not saying Wiggins is a better player than Jimmy. Wiggins learned a lot from Jimmy in Minnesota, and Jimmy loved his talent.
“Sometimes Wiggins has these games where he doesn’t have the same motor. You are going to get some amazing games where he feels like a high level NBA player and other nights, you won’t. Consistency is wild for the talent. He will have 40 and then he’ll score 11 and you’ll be like, ‘what the hell?’
“It’s a good match, though. Spo [Erik Spoelstra] does a really good job of motivating guys. It’s good for both. It will be good for Wiggins. He has the ability to be elite defensively.
“He’s very coachable. Offensively, he can shoot the three, can post up, he’s very versatile, you can play him at 2, 3, 4 [shooting guard or either forward position at 6-7]. He can defend twos, threes and some fours. His matchups against LeBron James were always interesting; there was extra motivation there.
“Because he’s versatile, you will never say, ‘Oh, he can’t play with that [particular] guy.’ He can drive and kick. In terms of initiating the drive and kick or being the recipient, he can be on either side.”
▪ Eastern scout on Mitchell:
“He’s one of the best on-ball defenders in the league, bar none. Top five. Adequate playmaker. He’s not a great shooter but can make an open three. He’s Heat culture and a natural point guard. To me, he’s the only natural point guard on their roster now because I don’t look at Terry Rozier as that. He’s small but can guard a little bigger guys. He really gets into people.”
▪ Western scout on Kyle Anderson:
“He’s one of the highest IQ players in the league, in my view. From afar, he’s one of those guys you might say, ‘What does he do?’ But he has value. Not a great shooter, but people have greater appreciation when they see him day-to-day. He’s an underrated leader from a role player standpoint. He’s a smart team defender and lends to winning.”
More reaction
Some feedback from national outlets on the Heat’s trades:
▪ ESPN’s Kevin Pelton: “Once the Heat were in a position where they had to trade Butler, this was a pretty good return. Miami accomplished its goal of avoiding taking back bad salary while also getting what could be a quality first-round pick to replenish its coffers. After a down 2023-24, Wiggins has been back to the quality 3-and-D star he was for the Warriors during their 2022 championship run....Miami could still use Anderson’s playmaking ability. Anderson’s length will work well in the zone defenses Erik Spoelstra likes to use with second units.
“It’s clear this Miami team has less upside than it would have with a motivated Butler. Given the Heat’s desire to protect their 2026 cap space and Butler’s urgency to sign an extension, that wasn’t in the cards. Getting a quality starter on a good contract and a worthwhile first-round pick is a reasonable save.”
▪ Yahoo NBA writer Kevin O’Connor: “Love the Jimmy Butler deal for the Heat. Andrew Wiggins is younger, a good defender, a way better shooter. Fits this Heat system alongside the core pieces. And a pick in the 11-18 range could net them a nice piece. All for a disgruntled player who didn’t want to be there.”
The Heat gets one Golden State first-round pick, which is top-10 protected in 2025 and 2026 and unprotected in 2027 if it hasn’t conveyed to Miami in 2025 or 2026.
▪ Former Suns and Hawks and Nets official Amin Elhassen, of the Dan Le Batard show and formerly ESPN: “If the deal for Kevin Durant had not come up, you would be like, given everything has happened since Feb. 1, this is a pretty good deal. Kevin Durant for Jimmy Butler straight up was a real conversation.”
▪ ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins: Wiggins “is going to fit fine with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware. Pat Riley wins again. I love this for the Heat.”
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 9:30 AM.
