Aaron Wiggins is returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder on a five-year, $47 million contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The 25-year-old shooting guard became a restricted free agent on Saturday after Oklahoma City declined his $1.989 million option for the next season and extended a qualifying offer, paving the way for a long-term deal. Wiggins has proven to be a valuable rotation player in his three years with the team, prompting the Thunder to secure him for the future.
Last season, Wiggins played in 78 games, starting in four, and averaged 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 15.7 minutes per game. He also recorded shooting splits of .562/.492/.789 as OKC tied for the best record in the Western Conference at 57-25.
Selected with the 55th pick in the 2021 draft after three seasons at Maryland, Wiggins proved to be a bargain on his original four-year, $6.4 million deal. As a result, the Thunder decided to reward him and ensure his place in their promising future.
Additionally, Oklahoma City agreed to re-sign Isaiah Joe to a long-term deal after declining his option on Saturday. This strategic move allows the Thunder to retain both Wiggins’ and Joe’s modest cap holds while utilizing their cap space, and then exceed the cap to re-sign them.
