The NBA held its rookie photo shoot on Sunday, the first time players selected in this summer’s draft appear in their official uniforms for next season.
For the number one overall pick, however, that may not end up being the case.
Andrew Wiggins is widely rumored to be the cost of doing business for the Cavaliers if in fact they’re able to complete a much-talked-about trade with the Timberwolves that would send Kevin Love to Cleveland. While his camp insists that they haven’t been informed that Wiggins is going anywhere, it remains likely that in any final iteration of a deal involving Love, Wiggins would need to be included to satisfy Minnesota’s demands.
All of this made for some awkward moments for Wiggins in a live television interview with ESPN.
Things get going at the 1:50 mark of the video clip above, where the questions about whether or not Wiggins has heard anything about his future begin.
“At the end of the day you have to remember that the NBA is a business before anything,” Wiggins said. “I’m waiting to hear. I’m a rookie. I don’t really have too much say.”
That was followed up with Wiggins saying, “I just want to play for a team that wants me. So whichever team wants me I’ll play for,” before the most awkward exchange of all took place (at the 2:34 mark).
‘Do you think Cleveland wants you,’ Wiggins was asked.
“Yeah,” he said, after a pause of almost three seconds. “I hope so.”
Now, part of the ungraceful exchange was due to the delay in Wiggins hearing the question before answering, and part of it has to do with the fact that Wiggins, like the majority of rookie players, isn’t yet experienced in dealing with the media to this extent, where he’s expected to answer a barrage of somewhat uncomfortable questions about whether his current team wants him, or if he believes a trade is in the cards.
But none of that makes the situation in Cleveland any easier for the 19-year-old Wiggins to deal with.
