The maximum contract extension for Andrew Wiggins is rumored to be done later this week, per a report. Plus, one more note on the Timberwolves’ new Statement jerseys.
We’ve all been expecting an Andrew Wiggins extension to get done at some point, although there has been a weird lull in in news related to the talks over the past few weeks.
You might recall that this summer’s semi-saga surrounding the deal that everyone has assumed would get done sooner rather than later. We wrote about contract discussions beginning back a couple of months ago. Then, owner Glen Taylor began discussion the negotiations in the media. Just days later, Taylor was perhaps too candid when it comes to his expectations for his franchise’s young, rising star.
In August, it was announced that Wiggins was terminating his relationship with agent Bill Duffy, and reportedly after the max-contract deal was already on the table from the Timberwolves.
And…that was the last we heard about the matter until Darren Wolfson took to Twitter on Monday afternoon.
The Wiggins 5-years, $148M extension is expected to be done before Saturday's 1st practice, per a chat I had w/ owner Glen Taylor. #Twolves
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) September 18, 2017
With training camp opening in San Diego this weekend, it makes perfect sense for both sides to push for a deal before getting down to (on-court) business. It’s not a surprise that they’re pushing to get this done, but the silence over the past few weeks was starting to be at least slightly disconcerting.
As we’ve discussed at length here at Dunking With Wolves, this is one of those inevitable extensions that the player hasn’t necessarily “earned”, but it has to happen. The market (i.e. the idea that Wiggins would absolutely and unequivocally receive a max contract from someone were he to hit the open market) dictates that a 22-year-old, third-year player that averaged 23.6 points per game gets paid a ton of money. And that’s okay.
At any rate, it will be good to see this get done. Dragging into training camp and the team’s trip to Asia would have been the worst-case scenario, to be sure.
Elsewhere, the release of the Timberwolves third new jersey design, the Statement edition, has been covered extensively by our team here at DWW. And now, Paul Lukas of ESPN’s Uni Watch has ranked the Wolves’ bright green, Northern Lights-inspired duds as the second-worst of the NBA’s release from this weekend.
"This is another one of those designs that almost seem calculated to be polarizing — you’ll either love it or hate it. Either way, can someone please explain how the Timberwolves ended up with something that looks like the Seattle Seahawks’ Color Rush uniform?"
Uni Watch had the Wolves’ jerseys ranked right after Cleveland’s “clunky” new edition that features the Cavaliers’ “C” logo.
Next: Timberwolves Roundup: Shabazz Muhammad signing
Training camp starts on Saturday, and the first preseason game will take place against the Los Angeles Lakers just 11 days from now. Get excited, Wolves fans. It’s almost here.