Andrew Wiggins agreed to one of the more unique contract structures in recent memory earlier this summer. By accepting his player option and signing a two-year extension, he effectively secured his future with the Miami Heat on a three-year deal worth $64 million that will pay him just over half of his first-year salary in Year 2.
Though Wiggins’ contract is unique, it mirrors the evolving role the Heat will need him to play over the next two seasons.
Wiggins will make $30,169,644 in 2026-27, which is in line with the third star expectations he’s facing. He’ll then receive a fairly massive pay cut and a $16,510,000 salary in 2027-28—a figure that’s consistent with how he’ll, optimistically, settle back into the position of an elite role player.
It’s all a result of the Heat betting the farm on Giannis Antetokounmpo, losing their shot creation depth, and hoping to sign a star in 2027.
The question, of course, is whether or not Wiggins is up to the task. He’s been an All-Star and an NBA champion, but this past season, his volume as a scorer declined and his efficiency reached a career-best level.
The Heat will need him to sustain his efficiency and elite defense while scoring with more volume if they hope to contend in 2026-27—and could then ask him to decrease his volume once again in 2027-28.
Heat are paying Andrew Wiggins to be a third star in 2026-27 and an elite role player in 2027-28
Wiggins is coming off of a season during which he established himself as one of the best 3-and-D wings in the NBA. He shot 41.4% from beyond the arc and ranked in the 96th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, per Basketball Index.
The new task will be proving he can go from 15.4 points per game on .475/.414/.784 shooting in 2025-26 back to the 18.0 he averaged in 2024-25—without dropping back down to .448/.374/.763 splits.
Those aren’t bad numbers, even if he did sit below the league average in eFG% of .543 at .526. He was well above it at a career-best mark of .559 in 2025-26, however, and Miami needs sharpshooting wings to create optimal spacing for star big men Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In short: Miami will need Wiggins to play like a $30 million player and a true third star who adapts to the first and second options’ needs.
Fast forward to 2027-28 and a new question will arise that matches his $16.51 million salary: Will he be content to go right back to less volume as a scorer even if he excels in his elevated 2026-27 role? He went from 14.0 field goal attempts per game in 2024-25 to 12.1 in 2025-26, and could mirror that season-to-season rise-and-fall if the Heat achieve their goal of landing a star in agency or on the trade market in 2027.
It’s an admittedly bizarre situation, but the contract Wiggins signs perfectly suits the way his role will evolve over the next two seasons.
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