The Timberwolves Are Working On Locking Andrew Wiggins Up With A Huge Extension


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Few teams had as active an offseason as the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer, as Tom Thibodeau got to work making a number of moves to retool the roster to be a legitimate playoff contender in 2017-18. Minnesota got started by dealing Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine for Jimmy Butler, and then traded Ricky Rubio in order to create cap space to sign Jeff Teague as a replacement in free agency.

The most recent signing for Minnesota, and likely the last major move this offseason, was landing veteran scorer and former Sixth Man of the Year winner Jamal Crawford after he was bought out by the Hawks. With Crawford, Teague, and Butler on board, the Timberwolves suddenly have a mix of veterans and young, budding stars in Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Towns still has two years left on his rookie deal, while Wiggins will come up for a new deal in 2018.

Rather than wait for Wiggins to hit restricted free agency next summer, the Timberwolves plan on getting an extension done before the October 16 deadline for a designated rookie-scale extension.

During Crawford’s introductory press conference, Thibodeau said the team is “working on it,” in reference to a Wiggins extension, and according to ESPN, that extension is expected to be a 5-year deal worth up to $148 million.

After averaging 23.6 points per game a year ago, Wiggins has begun to show promise of reaching the potential many thought he had as the top pick in 2014. Wiggins’ offensive skills have continually developed while his defensive prowess remains a bit raw — but much of that is due to constant coaching changes over his career. Entering a second year with Thibodeau, Wiggins should be more comfortable within the defensive system and Minnesota will hope he can take a leap on that end while playing next to Butler.

Locking up Wiggins and, in another year, Towns is paramount for the Timberwolves moving forward. In doing so, they can keep their young core intact and hope that their veteran additions will be the right mix to help them reach their star potential.

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