Report: Andrew Wiggins no longer in mix for Canadian Olympic roster spot
As training camp gets underway on Friday for the senior men’s national basketball team, with players jockeying to represent Canada at the Olympics, it appears one notable figure may no longer be in the fold.
Andrew Wiggins, 2022 NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, is reportedly “out of the Canadian Olympic picture,” according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
The Thornhill, Ont. native was one of 20 players invited to camp ahead of the men’s first Olympic berth since 2000.
Wiggins hadn’t represented Canada since 2021, missing out on the team’s bronze medal at last year’s FIBA World Cup, but appeared poised to suit up for the red-and-white in Paris.
According to Smith, the Warriors have been looking to trade the 29-year-old and are “playing hardball” in that process. The former first-overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft and Rookie of the Year is currently in the midst of a four-year, $109 million contract he signed with Golden State after helping them capture a title.
The Warriors are currently the second-most expensive team in the NBA, according to Spotrac, hence why they hope to move on from Wiggins’ sizeable salary. Since helping them win it all in 2022, he missed all but 37 games the next season due to personal reasons and then in the 2023-24 campaign, his numbers took a dip.
Wiggins averaged career-lows in scoring (13.2) and assists (1.7) through 71 games this year and no longer appears to be part of the Warrior’s future plans.
Meanwhile, what this might mean for Canada’s Olympic roster is yet to be seen. Whether they invite someone in his place, like program veteran Cory Joseph or lengthy forward Chris Boucher for frontcourt depth — or simply enter camp with 19 players instead. Either way, the roster will be cut down to 12 in the coming weeks ahead of their exhibition game against team USA in Las Vegas on July 10.
It’ll be the first matchup between the two countries since Canada secured a 127-118 win over their southern neighbours to capture a bronze medal last August. Fans in Canada can catch all the action live on Sportsnet.
More to come…
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