NBA Rumors: Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins working out individually at Chase Center; must vaccinate in 20 days to avoid losing access
The Golden State Warriors will be on the road to redemption when they take to the court for the 2021-22 season. However, ahead of the start of the new campaign, the Warriors have found themselves in a bit of a predicament.
According to the new vaccine mandate in the state of San Francisco, no player or staff member of any team will be allowed to compete in the upcoming NBA season unless they are fully vaccinated. This means players from the Warriors team will not be allowed into the Chase Center unless fully vaccinated.
This is now a problem for the Warriors as it has been reported that Andrew Wiggins has not yet been vaccinated. It is also claimed that Wiggins will only get the dose if forced. The league is looking to give the 26-year-old a religious exemption. However, it would still not work well for him, as the mandate would be applicable in the state of San Francisco regardless of what the league does.
As reported by Monte Poole from NBC Sports Bay Arena, Wiggins has been restricted to individual workouts as per the new norms. However, the forward could lose that exemption as well if he isn't vaccinated in the next 20 days.
The forward also needs to keep in mind that the Golden State Warriors could fine him around $3,50,000 per missed game, which will sum up to be a huge amount at the end of 41 games.
Sources: Andrew Wiggins has been in the Bay Area this month but is restricted to individual sessions at Chase Center. Under current SF protocols, if he isn't fully vaccinated over next 20 days, those workouts will end.
How important is Andrew Wiggins to the Golden State Warriors?
Andrew Wiggins showed glimpses of his brilliance last season as he averaged 18.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 2.4 APG. He also shot at a career-best 47.7% from the field. Wiggins was the team's second-best scorer behind Stephen Curry, who looked unstoppable last season.
Many Golden State Warriors fans are excited about Klay Thompson returning to action this season. However, he is expected to miss a few games initially to get back to full match fitness. While that was already a cause for concern, the vaccine situation involving Wiggins means the Warriors find themselves in a very tough position ahead of the start of the 2021-22 season.
Wiggins' lock-down defense on some of the best offensive players last season was a big surprise to many. If he misses more than 40 games in a season, it could prove to be a huge loss for the Golden State Warriors. The franchise will undoubtedly look to figure something out and get things sorted before their opening night game against the Lakers.