From the onset, rumors surrounded rookie Andrew Wiggins and built the expectation that he would never play for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Typically, when a player is traded, surplus jerseys sit in the stores at discounted prices. Fanatics, one of the country's largest online licensed sports retailer, was aware of this trend and guarded against it, ESPN.com's Darren Rovell reported.
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Fanatics, which specializes in custom jersey sales, received orders for No. 21 Wiggins Cavaliers jerseys. As a precaution, they waited out the trade rumors and never made the orders.
Once Wiggins signed his contract, the timer was set. Fanatics had a month to deliver the jerseys and there was a month-long cushion before Wiggins could be traded. The company decided to wait out the rumors, spokesman Meier Raivich told Rovell.
On Thursday, it was confirmed that Wiggins will be included in a trade package for Minnesota's Kevin Love. The story advanced on Sunday, when Wiggins' former coach, Bill Self, revealed that the rookie preferred a trade to the Wolves, where he could develop on his own terms.