Andrew Wiggins Will Validate Lofty Trade Value with Rookie of the Year Effort

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie guard Andrew Wiggins has huge expectations on his shoulders after a wild and unpredictable offseason, but the Kansas product will prove to be the NBA's best newcomer in 2014-15.

Wiggins seemed poised to become the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers after they selected him No. 1 overall in June's draft; however, things changed quickly. After the Cavs got LeBron James to return home, they decided to trade Wiggins to Minnesota in a deal that brought superstar forward Kevin Love to Cleveland.

Such a sudden change can be tough on a 19-year-old player, but Wiggins has had the spotlight on him at every level. He would have played third fiddle to LeBron and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland had he stayed, but Wiggins has an opportunity to be "the guy" in Minnesota immediately.

It is tough to predict how he will handle that, but based on Wiggins' talent level and demeanor, he should be able to parlay that into a Rookie of the Year award.

According to Jack Winter of DimeMag.com, Wiggins is undaunted by the situation that currently sits in front of him.

"I don't really feel like it's too much pressure right now," Wiggins said. "I've been through being the No. 1 player in high school, in college, all that stuff. So, pressure to me has really died down; I don't feel it as much as I used to."

The Timberwolves have some veteran players like Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, Corey Brewer and others, but none of them is going to elevate the team on his own offensively most nights. Wiggins, on the other hand, has the ability to do that in any given game.

Although he hasn't been a member of the T'Wolves long, Wiggins is already making a great impression. Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders admitted ahead of Tuesday's preseason opener that he is pleased with Wiggins' progress thus far, per Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun:

As happy as Saunders seems to be with his new acquisition, Wiggins is already receiving even greater praise from teammates like Martin, according to Phil Ervin of FoxSports.com.

"I think Wiggins is filled with Hall of Fame potential," Martin said. "That's why he's been hyped up since he was 16 years old. Now he's going to be in a situation to put all those tools together."

Wiggins has been put in the unfortunate spot of having to replace a perennial All-Star in Love. With that said, he doesn't play the same position and doesn't have the same style of play. Also, the T'Wolves are a young, developing team, so Wiggins doesn't have to be Michael Jordan or LeBron from day one.

With that said, it is tough to ignore the potential comparisons. Wiggins flashed many moments of brilliance during his one season as a member of the Jayhawks, and he has continued to do that even before playing in his first official NBA game.

As seen in this Vine courtesy of the Timberwolves' official Twitter account, Wiggins has supreme athleticism and has apparently already found a nice rapport with point guard Ricky Rubio:

Based on volume alone, Wiggins has to be considered the Rookie of the Year favorite. There will inevitably be some bumps in the road, and his percentages may not be great since he'll likely be asked to shoot the ball a ton, but he is in a better position to play tons of minutes right away than any of his counterparts.

Wiggins' closest competition is likely Jabari Parker of the Milwaukee Bucks, but it certainly seems as though he will have to battle for offensive touches much more than Wiggins will.

Also, whether it is fair or not, the Timberwolves will likely want to rationalize the Love trade and get everything they can out of Wiggins from the start. That doesn't necessarily mean that they will sacrifice his development, but the organization obviously knows that Wiggins is already the top draw.

It won't be known for several years who truly won the trade between the T'Wolves and Cavs, but Timberwolves fans would undoubtedly like to see notable progress out of Wiggins throughout the season.

Assuming he is as good as advertised, Wiggins will entrench himself as the NBA's best rookie and one of its future superstars with a strong 2014-15 debut.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter