NBA All-Star Andrew Wiggins missed the Golden State Warriors game against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, but it now appears the 25-year-old will be away from the team for an extended period of time.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that Wiggins will be away from the court to tend to a "personal matter," and there is no timetable for his return to the team.
Kerr made it clear that the team will respect Wiggins' privacy, and said he will be given as much time as he needs.
"We do expect him to be back, but we just don't exactly know when," Kerr said on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game on Wednesday. "We're in a position where Wiggs is a private person, and he's asked to keep it private, and we're gonna honor that. So it doesn't help for me to sit here and try to explain any of that. The bottom line is, we respect Wiggs, we need him, and we fully expect him back, but we just don't know when that will be."
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The extended absence will mark the second consecutive year Wiggins has missed a significant amount of time due to an unspecified reason. He was away from the Warriors for 25 games due to a "family matter."
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Wiggins eventually returned to the team in time for last year's postseason, appearing in 13 games. The Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings in the opening round but were ultimately eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
At the height of the Warriors dynasty, the franchise won four NBA championships over an eight-year span. But as the team's star players aged, and injuries took a toll, the Warriors have appeared to slip out of championship contention.
Wiggins was also in the midst of a disappointing season, with the small forward averaging a career-low 12.7 points per game through his 51 appearances this year.
At one point in the season, Wiggins was removed from the starting lineup, but he bounced back and has helped the Warriors win eight of their past ten games.
The Warriors currently sit in the tenth spot in the Western Conference. If the postseason started today, the Warriors would qualify for the NBA's Play-In Tournament.
The Warriors will likely rely on Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski during Wiggins' absence. It remains unclear whether five-time All-Star Klay Thompson will transition back into the starting lineup while Wiggins is away.
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