Aaron Wiggins broke out with the Oklahoma City Thunder during their 2024- 25 championship season.
In 76 games, Wiggins averaged 12.0 points per game, while shooting 38.3% from the three-point range. He was becoming a legitimate 3-and-D wing for a young Thunder core. At just 26 years old, Wiggins was destined to be a part of Oklahoma City’s organization for a long time.
However, things changed as Wiggins took a step back during the 2025-26 season.
His role remained roughly the same, as he played just one fewer minute per game. Unfortunately, the shooting across the board was way down. His field goal percentage dropped from 48.8% to 43.1% on just one fewer shot per game. His three-point shooting dropped to 35.6%, and his free-throw percentage took the biggest dip, from 83.1% in 2024-25 to 73.6% the next year.
In the playoffs last season, Wiggins was unplayable as he only averaged 5.8 minutes per game compared to 21.8 minutes in the regular season. With the Thunder deep into luxury tax territory, they needed to move a few contracts. Wiggins became the casualty as the Atlanta Hawks made a move for him.
Now, Wiggins has a chance to revitalize his career in Atlanta, and the Hawks have the perfect role for him.
Quin Snyder Already Trusts Wiggins to Close Games Over McCollum
One of the main issues Atlanta had last season was a lack of secondary ball handlers. This was especially true in the playoffs when CJ McCollum was the only true ball-handling guard in the rotation. Most of the Hawks’ bench was made up of wings who could not be primary or secondary ball-handlers in the offense.
Of course, drafting Kingston Flemings helps in that regard, but Wiggins will be leaned on more throughout the season. In fact, Quin Snyder opted to close the game against the Orlando Magic with Wiggins instead of McCollum.
McCollum scored 19 points on 7-for-9 from the field and 4-for-6 from three. Despite this, Wiggins played all 12 minutes in the fourth quarter, while McCollum only played two minutes. Wiggins himself scored 16 points, including hitting two three-pointers in the fourth quarter. His timely shooting helped lift Atlanta over Orlando.
On a night when the Hawks committed 30 personal fouls, foul trouble was not the reason for Wiggins closing over McCollum. In reality, Wiggins committed more fouls than McCollum in the game.
“[Wiggins] was solid defensively,” Snyder said. “Everyone on the court has confidence in [Wiggins]…we were bigger with him on the floor.”
Wiggins Fills the Defensive Gap Atlanta Had All Last Season
Wiggins adds to what Atlanta was hoping to build in the offseason. He adds another perimeter defender on a team with other stout perimeter defenders. No matter how Snyder plays it, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Lu Dort, and Wiggins give the Hawks plenty of defensive versatility.
Ultimately, Atlanta wants to build a tough and physical unit, and that is what Wiggins gives them. This is something the Hawks simply didn’t have last season. After Alexander-Walker and Daniels, the guard/wing defense drops off significantly. While Dort and Daniels will have inconsistent shooting nights, Wiggins has proven he can knock down shots consistently.
Snyder wants Wiggins shooting early in the shot clock.
“We want [Wiggins] to be aggressive early in the shot clock from the three-point line,” Snyder said.
Ultimately, when you consider what President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh and the Hawks are trying to build, Wiggins is a perfect fit. He won’t play over 30 minutes off the bench every night, but trusting him to close games is a strong early sign.
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