Andrew Wiggins' return comes at perfect time for Warriors

For the second season in a row, Wiggins left the Warriors to deal with a "serious family matter."

Last year, Wiggins missed the season's last 25 games before returning for the playoffs. This season, he missed the team's four-game road trip, on which they went 3-1, and on Tuesday, he was back on the court at the team's practice facility.

Wiggins could be available for the team's big matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, though the Warriors tend to be conservative about rushing players back into action. The Warriors have a challenging back-to-back with Milwaukee and the Chicago Bulls this week, followed by a home-and-home with Victor Wembanyama and the resurgent San Antonio Spurs, so Wiggins' return is well-timed.

The team just got Chris Paul back from injury and Brandin Podziemski will also be back Wednesday, putting the Warriors in a rare full-strength position. They'll need it. Even after an 11-3 stretch, the team is still in tenth place in the Western Conference, although they're 2.5 games behind the sixth-place Phoenix Suns.

Wiggins is the team's best perimeter defender and is shooting 41 percent from deep since the start of 2024. In his absence, Golden State got some phenomenal play from replacement starter Moses Moody, so head coach Steve Kerr will have a lot of options on the wings.

Kerr also got some wretched play from the team Sunday, when they lost by 52 points to the Boston Celtics, though he told reporters the team would "Flush it" and move on. It'll be easier to move on with Wiggins back in the lineup.