Report: Wiggins to play for Canada at FIBA World Cup
It appears Canada is getting a much-needed boost to its hopes of qualifying for the next Olympics.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins has committed to playing for Team Canada at this summer's FIBA World Cup, Canada Basketball's senior men's team general manager Rowan Barrett told Sportsnet's Arash Madani on Monday.
The 24-year-old has represented his country on multiple occasions at the junior level but hasn't suited up internationally since the 2015 FIBA Americas, during which Wiggins averaged a team-high 15.1 points per contest and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Canada finished third in the tournament and thus failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. There were rumors of a rift between Wiggins and ex-head coach Jay Triano after the former was infamously benched in the fourth quarter of Canada's stunning semifinal loss to Venezuela.
Wiggins averaged 18.1 points on a career-low 41.2 percent shooting from the floor across 73 appearances this past season.
Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse recently confirmed that he'll assume the same role with the Canadian national team at its first FIBA World Cup appearance since 2010. A top-seven finish will give the Canucks their first Olympic berth since 2000.
Canada opens its FIBA World Cup campaign on Sept. 1 against Australia.