One of the most hyped high school prospects in recent memory, Andrew Wiggins had a productive collegiate career at Kansas before being selected first overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, after which he was promptly shipped to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland. Since landing in Minnesota, Wiggins has shown why he has long been a coveted talent, displaying elite athleticism and improving his scoring average in each of his three NBA seasons, reaching 23.6 points per game in 2016-17.

Though there are flaws to his game, Wiggins has shown immense potential, and the Timberwolves have rewarded him with a max Contract extension.

Contract details

According to Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Wiggins has received a max contract worth $148 million over five years. The extension will be tacked on to the one remaining year on Wiggins' rookie deal, keeping him under the Timberwolves' control through the 2022-23 season.

"We're very excited that Andrew has decided to commit his future to the Timberwolves," said president of basketball operations and head coach Tom Thibodeau, via NBA.com.

"Andrew is one of the best young players in the NBA, and he has the talent and work ethic to get even better and be a foundation for our franchise for many years," added owner Glen Taylor, per Zgoda.

Meanwhile, Wiggins, per NBA.com, expressed how excited he is to commit to the franchise, praising the fans and the organization while adding that though he's had some good times during his years in Minnesota, "the best is yet to come." Wiggins said that he looks forward to "bringing this team to the postseason."

Is Wiggins worth the money?

This contract is a bit of a gamble for the Timberwolves, though whenever you have an opportunity to lock up a player with as much explosive upside as Wiggins possesses, it is tough not to open up the wallet.

While Wiggins has displayed elite NBA athleticism and a knack for getting the ball in the hoop with career averages of 20.4 points per game and 45 percent shooting, he still has a lot of work to do in other areas of his game to be truly worth a max contract. The league's great players contribute in far more areas than scoring—whether it be facilitating, rebounding, defending, etc.—but Wiggins has yet to excel in any other facets of the game.

At 6-foot-8 with explosive athletic ability, Wiggins' average of 4.0 rebounds in 37.2 minutes per game was underwhelming, to say the least. While he theoretically has the length and athleticism to play lockdown defense, his play on the defensive end has been extremely inconsistent at the NBA level (he averaged 1.0 steal and 0.4 blocks per game last season). While he will likely never be a key facilitator for his team, it would be nice to see more than the 2.3 assists per game he averaged in 2016-17.

Perhaps some time in the weight room to add to his slight 202-pound frame would serve Wiggins well in areas such as rebounding and defense.

Thibodeau certainly believes Wiggins will become a more well-rounded player, telling NBA.com, "We feel strongly that he is just scratching the surface of the player he will become. Andrew is among the elite young talents in our league, and the sky is the limit for him. We look forward to watching his development in the coming years."

If Wiggins can add a few other dimensions to his game, he could be worth every penny of his contract and become a dominant force in the NBA.
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