Analyst highlights the importance of Aaron Wiggins as a low-cost rising star

The Oklahoma City Thunder possess a rare roster that is full of names that can substantially impact the future. Without going too far down the depth chart, you’ll find three-year pro Aaron Wiggins, who has taken massive strides in each season of his young career.

Before anyone else, the Thunder understand the prospects of keeping the swingman around for the long-haul, which is why they secured him to a five-year contract earlier this offseason.

As much as Wiggins has earned praise for delivering an impact in reduced playing time, his recent contract skyrockets his value, making him one of the most cost-effective players in the NBA.

Worthy of praise

In a recent episode of his podcast, Sam Vecenie broke down his list of the “Top 10 Contracts in the NBA.” While the Thunder’s 25-year-old rising star didn’t quite squeeze into the ranking, the analyst couldn’t go without including him in the “honorable mentions” and discussing how crucial he can be to his team moving forward.

“Ultimately, I just wanted to see what he’s gonna be for Oklahoma City,” said Vecenie . “I think that he was really terrific last year, but he was really an eight-man for [Oklahoma City] at the end of the day, ninth-man. That might be who he is. And if he is that, he is definitely worth that money and is still probably a bargain. But might not be such a bargain that he is [on a] top 10 contract necessarily. [He’s] probably in the top 20-25 for me.”

For the 2023-24 season, Wiggins averaged 6.9 points. 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 56.2% shooting from the floor and 49.2% from 3 in 15.7 minutes per game. His numbers, while not exactly whoppers apart from the incredible efficiency, don’t do the job in illustrating his sheer impact.

Quietly, Aaron fought for the mantle of Oklahoma City’s best shooter last season. Although his 49.2% from distance was partially a result of a reduced volume of shots, he maintained a reliable stroke the entire season, especially shooting from the top of the key, where he converted a remarkable 56.2%.

The 6-foot-6 wing had his fingerprints all over a team that was the association’s No. 1 3-point shooting team by percentage. With increased playing time and consistent development, Wiggins can quickly become the best low-cost weapon off the bench in the league. In an era where assembling a quality bench is especially difficult because of the team-building guidelines enforced by the new CBA, the Thunder are several steps ahead of the other 29 teams.

Related: Will SGA still be OKC’s best player in 2027?