The Minnesota Timberwolves and Andrew Wiggins agreed to terms for a contract extension. This move shows that the Wolves believe in Wiggins long-term.
Even though the 2017-18 NBA season opener is right around the corner, the Minnesota Timberwolves front office remains active. After an excellent offseason, the Wolves have a lot of new talent on their roster. Wednesday’s news does not change the look of the team now, but does improve the outlook of the Wolves’ future.
Andrew Wiggins has officially signed an extension to his rookie contract. As reported by the New York Times‘ Marc Stein, it is a five-year, $146.5 million max deal. The Vertical‘s Shams Charania also reported that this deal has no player option for Wiggins.
There was a point during the offseason where Andrew Wiggins looked like a potential trade piece for the Timberwolves to improve their roster. The main trade that Wiggins was rumored to be a part of was a trade between the Wolves and Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving. Irving eventually ended up going to the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster deal that put the speculation to rest.
Wolves owner Glen Taylor has maintained his position on Wiggins throughout the offseason. He wanted to keep the young star and sign him to a long-term deal. He also made clear that Wiggins was untouchable in regards to trades. The only stipulation was that he wanted Wiggins to commit to playing better defense.
Andrew Wiggins' Minnesota final extension terms: five-year, $146.5M max deal -- with no player option, league source tells The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 11, 2017
Taylor said the following in a press conference about his commitment to Wiggins and his expectations.
"“I’m already extending to him that I’m willing to meet the max. But there are some things that I need out of him, and that is the commitment to be a better player than you are today. I think it’s important. I don’t know what else you can do but look at the person face-to-face and trust that he will follow through.“He seems like a very good person. He seems to have the ability, and so the only thing it would be is for some reason he didn’t work hard enough to obtain the skill sets. That’s what you’re asking him to commit to.”"
Wolves owner building around Andrew Wiggins
It is clear that the Wolves believe Andrew Wiggins has the potential to be a star in the NBA. Taylor just wants to make sure he is investing his money in a player that is going to work hard for it. The Wolves have an opportunity to be good for several years. The growth of Andrew Wiggins will play a large role in how far they can go.
The Wolves now have Andrew Wiggins secured for five more years. In addition to Wiggins, Jimmy Butler has a player option in 2020 and Karl-Anthony Towns is the next candidate for a max rookie extension deal. With those three secured, the Wolves can attract other players to play for Minnesota and chase a championship.
Next: 30 reasons to be excited for the 2017-18 NBA season
Wiggins averaged 23.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season while playing the most total minutes in the NBA. He is on the verge of becoming an All-Star if he puts it all together. The Wolves made a big long-term investment in Andrew Wiggins. Now they await how it will all unfold.