A blistering start gave way to injury-induced struggles, leaving the Thunder wing fighting for a rotation spot.
Aaron Wiggins averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game across 65 appearances while setting career-lows in effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage.
He began the season on fire to the tune of 14.8 points per game on 41.7% shooting from deep. Unfortunately, Wiggins only played nine games before suffering an adductor strain (inner thigh) that sidelined him from Nov. 7 through Nov. 28. The Maryland product’s stats and impact were never the same following his return. His three-point shooting plummeted and he seemingly lost his self-confidence.
Wiggins’ best performance came against Portland on Nov. 5, which was the game in which he sustained his adductor strain. Wiggins scored 27 points on 7-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc and also chipped in two rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Due to his season-long struggles and the Thunder’s depth, Wiggins failed to crack the playoff rotation. Almost all of his minutes came during garbage time, and the few meaningful minutes he received did not go well. In his defense, it’s extremely difficult to play loosely and efficiently when a player is rusty and any mistake could lead to a benching.
Overall, Wiggins receives a “D+” grade for the 2026 season. It was undoubtedly a disastrous season on the whole because of poor efficiency, a defensive drop and his tumble out of the rotation. However, he avoids a failing grade because there were flashes of tangible growth. Wiggins’ nine-game stretch before his injury was highly intriguing, especially as a self-created scorer. A strong offseason could lead to the former second-round pick reestablishing himself as a key bench piece.
Wiggins is under contract for $9 million next season and $8.1 million in 2028. Oklahoma City also has an $8.1 million team option for the 2029 season. In other words, Wiggins will be around for the next three seasons assuming the Thunder want to retain his services for this entire stretch. He may be a salary cap casualty, though. They could replace him with a rookie contract in order to reduce their luxury tax bill.
One area of improvement for Wiggins is his dribbling. A tighter, more versatile handle would allow him to get to his spots at a higher rate and increase his rim attempt frequency. It’s the next step he needs to master in order to become a more consistent scorer and offensive threat. Plus, his live turnovers would be slightly trimmed.
