Andrew Wiggins

Early life and athletic family

Andrew Christian Wiggins was born on February 23, 1995, in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in the Vaughan portion of Thornhill. His father, Mitchell Wiggins, played six seasons in the NBA as a guard for the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia 76ers. His parents met while they were both student athletes on scholarship at Florida State University. Wiggins has five siblings, including older brothers Nick and Mitchell Jr, who both played college basketball. He attended Glen Shields Public School for elementary education and began his high school studies at Vaughan Secondary School. Wiggins started playing organized basketball at age nine for an under 10 team in Toronto, standing just 5 feet 7 inches tall at the time. By age 13, he dunked a basketball for the first time, and a year later, after a growth spurt to 6 feet 6 inches, he shattered a glass backboard after dunking on a rim at the Dufferin Clark Community Centre in Vaughan.

Dominant high school career and national awards

Wiggins played his first two years of high school basketball at Vaughan Secondary School. In his sophomore year during the 2010 2011 season, he led the school's AAAA basketball team to a 44 1 record and an Ontario provincial championship. In the championship game, he scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. For his final two years, he transferred to Huntington Prep School in Huntington, West Virginia, to face stronger competition. During his junior season, he averaged 24.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.7 blocks per game. As a senior, he averaged 23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.5 assists per game. Wiggins had repeated a grade in middle school and was initially part of the high school class of 2014, but in October 2012 he reclassified to graduate in 2013, immediately becoming the top ranked national prospect ahead of Jabari Parker. On February 7, 2013, after a Sports Illustrated article criticized Canadian basketball and his work ethic, he responded by scoring 57 points in a 111 59 win over Marietta College. He earned the 2013 Naismith Prep Player of the Year award on February 25 and the 2013 Gatorade National Player of the Year on March 28, becoming the first Canadian to win the latter honour. He was also named Mr. Basketball USA in May 2013 and was the top ranked player by SLAM magazine.

Freshman season at the University of Kansas

After a highly publicized recruitment that included Florida State, Kentucky, and North Carolina, Andrew Wiggins committed to play for the University of Kansas Jayhawks on May 14, 2013. He joined the team on campus in June 2013. In his lone collegiate season during the 2013 2014 campaign, he averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds per game, and made 34.1 percent of his three point attempts. A notable performance came on January 13, 2014, when he recorded 17 points and 19 rebounds in a 77 70 victory over Iowa State, becoming only the second freshman in 15 years to amass those numbers in a win against a ranked opponent. On January 22, he was named a Top 25 finalist for the John R. Wooden Award. Wiggins saved his best offensive game for March 8, 2014, scoring 41 points against West Virginia, the most for a Big 12 Conference freshman since Michael Beasley in 2008. He was named a second team consensus All American and a semi finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year before declaring for the NBA draft on March 31, 2014.

NBA beginnings and Rookie of the Year in Minnesota

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Andrew Wiggins with the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft on June 26, 2014, making him the second Canadian picked number one after Anthony Bennett in 2013. On August 23, 2014, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a three team deal also involving the Philadelphia 76ers, which sent Kevin Love to Cleveland. In his NBA debut on October 29, 2014, he scored six points in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He earned Western Conference Rookie of the Month honours for both November and December 2014. On January 31, 2015, he scored 33 points in a loss to the Cavaliers. On February 13, he won the Rising Stars Challenge MVP after scoring 22 points for Team World.

Scoring achievements and first playoff run with Timberwolves

In his second NBA season, Wiggins began to post higher scoring totals. On November 9, 2015, he tied his career high with 33 points in a win over Atlanta, recording consecutive 30 point games for the first time. On December 18, 2015, he had 32 points, 10 rebounds and six assists against Sacramento, joining a short list of players aged 20 or younger to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game since 2000. He set a new career high of 35 points on January 8, 2016, against Cleveland. The 2016 2017 season saw further scoring milestones. On November 8, 2016, he scored 36 points and hit a career best six three pointers against Brooklyn. Five days later, he set a new career high with 47 points in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming the first Canadian born player to score 40 plus points in an NBA game. In February 2017, he recorded back to back 40 point games against Cleveland and Denver, only the second Minnesota player to do so. After signing a five year, 148 million dollar contract extension in October 2017, Wiggins helped the Timberwolves reach the playoffs for the first time in his career in the 2017 2018 season. He recorded his first career triple double on January 18, 2020, with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists before being traded.

Trade to Golden State and championship season

On February 6, 2020, Andrew Wiggins was traded to the Golden State Warriors along with two draft picks in exchange for D'Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans, and Omari Spellman. In his debut for the Warriors, he scored 24 points and had five steals. The Warriors missed the playoffs that season. On March 19, 2021, Wiggins scored a season high 40 points in a win over Memphis, but the team lost in the play in tournament. The 2021 2022 season was a career defining year. On December 6, 2021, he scored 28 points on a career high eight made three pointers. On January 27, 2022, he was named a Western Conference starter for the NBA All Star Game, his first selection, aided in fan voting by support from K pop star BamBam. He became the first number one overall pick since 1966 to earn his first All Star selection in his eighth season or later. In the playoffs, he scored a playoff career high 27 points in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against Dallas. During the NBA Finals against Boston, Wiggins had a 17 point, 16 rebound performance in Game 4 and a 26 point, 13 rebound game in Game 5. He won his first NBA championship as the Warriors defeated the Celtics in six games, finishing the series as the team's leading rebounder and second highest scorer while playing primary defence on Jayson Tatum.

Contract extension and final seasons with Warriors

On October 15, 2022, Wiggins signed a four year contract extension with the Golden State Warriors worth 109 million dollars. During the 2022 2023 season, he continued to be a vital part of the team's core. On November 20, 2022, Wiggins scored 22 points on 6 of 11 three point shooting, and combined with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to make 23 three pointers, an NBA record for a trio in a single game. On December 3, 2022, he scored a season best 36 points and matched his career high by making 8 of 10 three point attempts in a win over Houston. The Warriors were eliminated in the Conference Semifinals by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 NBA playoffs. On March 24, 2024, Wiggins made his 1,000th career three pointer, becoming the first NBA player born in Canada to reach that milestone. He remained with the Warriors until the 2024 2025 season, when he was traded in February 2025.

Move to the Miami Heat and contract extension

On February 6, 2025, Andrew Wiggins was traded to the Miami Heat as part of a complex five team trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. He quickly adapted to his new team, and on March 23, 2025, he scored 42 points in a win over the Charlotte Hornets, the second highest scoring game of his professional career. In the 2025 2026 regular season, Wiggins averaged 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game for the Heat. He provided a memorable highlight on November 10, 2025, scoring 23 points and finishing the game with a game winning alley oop dunk at the buzzer in a 140 138 overtime victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Demonstrating his long term commitment to the Miami franchise, Wiggins opted into the final year of his existing contract and signed a two year, 34 million dollar extension with the Heat on June 29, 2026.

Career with the Canadian national team

Andrew Wiggins has represented Canada in international basketball across multiple age groups. He participated in the 2010 FIBA Under 17 World Championship, where he was a teammate of future number one pick Anthony Bennett, and helped Canada win a bronze medal. At the 2012 FIBA Americas Under 18 Championship, he led the team in scoring with 15.2 points per game and added 7.6 rebounds per game as Canada won another bronze medal. On August 20, 2015, Wiggins was named to the Canadian senior men's team roster for the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, an Olympic qualifying tournament. He led the team in scoring with 15.1 points per game and was named to the All Tournament Team as Canada secured the bronze medal, though it was not enough to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Wiggins rejoined the national team for the 2020 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where he averaged 21.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game over three contests, but Canada again fell short of qualifying for the Tokyo Games.

Questions about Andrew Wiggins

Where was Andrew Wiggins born and raised?

Andrew Wiggins was born in Toronto, Ontario. He was raised in the Vaughan portion of Thornhill, Ontario. He attended Glen Shields Public School for elementary school. He began his high school education at Vaughan Secondary School in Vaughan.

When did Andrew Wiggins win his NBA championship?

Andrew Wiggins won his first NBA championship in 2022 as a key member of the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals. Wiggins was instrumental in the series, averaging 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while playing elite defence. His performance included a critical 26 point, 13 rebound effort in Game 5 and a 17 point, 16 rebound game in Game 4, helping to secure the title for Golden State.

Is Andrew Wiggins playing for Team Canada?

Yes, Andrew Wiggins has played for the Canadian national team at multiple levels. He won bronze medals with the junior team at the 2010 FIBA Under 17 World Championship and the 2012 FIBA Americas Under 18 Championship. At the senior level, he played in the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, where he was named to the All Tournament Team, and the 2020 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. His participation has been a significant boost to Canada's international basketball profile.

What team drafted Andrew Wiggins and why did he not play for them?

Andrew Wiggins was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014 NBA draft. He did not play for them because he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a preseason three team trade on August 23, 2014. The trade involved Cleveland, Minnesota, and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavaliers acquired star forward Kevin Love from the Timberwolves as part of the deal.

What is Andrew Wiggins's contract status with the Miami Heat?

Andrew Wiggins's contract status with the Miami Heat is defined by an extension signed on June 29, 2026. On that date, he opted into the final year of his existing contract and simultaneously signed a two year extension worth 34 million dollars. This combined action essentially created a new three year commitment with the Heat valued at 64 million dollars. He was traded to Miami from the Golden State Warriors on February 6, 2025, in a multi team deal.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.