Andrew Wiggins Announces He Will Not Play for Team Canada at 2016 Rio Olympics

The Canadian men's national basketball team suffered a major hit to its Olympic hopes Friday, as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins announced he will not play for the team.

According to Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Wiggins released a statement revealing that he will not be part of Team Canada during July's qualifying tournament for the 2016 Rio Games:

The 21-year-old swingman averaged 20.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and two assists per game this past season, his second as an NBA player.

The former Kansas standout was left off Canada's camp roster earlier Friday after failing to commit to play for the team, per TSN's Josh Lewenberg.

Wiggins played for Team Canada during the FIBA Americas Championship last year and led the team in scoring, but Venezuela upset Canada in the semifinals, which forced the team into July's last-chance qualification tournament.

No player on Canada's roster is capable of replacing what Wiggins brings to the table from an offensive perspective, but Oregon forward Dillon Brooks may be the team's best hope in terms of picking up the scoring slack.

Wiggins is one of the NBA's fastest-rising stars and seems destined to become a perennial All-Star, and the 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year is focused on the T-Wolves' progress with the team mired in a 12-year playoff drought.

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