Andrew Wiggins and the Minnesota Timberwolves have locked in a long-term deal to keep Wiggins in Minnesota. The team announced Wednesday that the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft had agreed to a long-term extension that will keep him in the Twin Cities for the foreseeable future.
The move ends a strange summer of contract negotiations for Wiggins and the Wolves in which the forward severed ties with his agent and found new representation.
Wiggins had stated he wanted a max deal from the team, but Minnesota wanted assurances that he would improve after a season where he was criticized for his defense and averaged just 4.0 rebounds 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals.
https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/918177424751214593
Wiggins’ 23.6 points per game, however, was enough to keep Minnesota committed to the player it acquired in the Kevin Love trade. The team did not release details of the contract, but reports on Wednesday indicate it will be a max deal worth $146.5 million over five years.
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
Wiggins spoke in a statement released by the team on Wednesday and seemed thrilled that the deal was finally figured out before the season started.
“I’m very excited to continue my career with the Timberwolves,” Wiggins said. “I love it here. The fans and organization have supported me from my first day here in Minnesota. I want to thank Glen Taylor, Tom Thibodeau, the entire coaching staff and my teammates for believing in me. We’ve had some good times over the last three seasons, but the best is yet to come. I look forward to doing right by them and bringing this team to the postseason.”
Timberwolves ownership also raved about Wiggins in the release, calling him the “foundation” of the franchise.
“Andrew is one of the best young players in the NBA,” Wolves owner Glen Taylor said. “He has the talent and work ethic to get even better and be a foundation for our franchise for many years.”
Wiggins and the new-look Timberwolves have high hopes in a crowded Western Conference this season, but with Wiggins wrapped up long-term the team can focus on that goal and not worry about potential trade rumors if they struggle.
