As soon as player-development coach Aaron Miles heard that the Warriors had acquired forward Andrew Wiggins in a blockbuster trade with the Timberwolves, he shot Wiggins a text: “Welcome to the family! When can you talk?”

That night, between packing suitcases and saying goodbye to friends in Minnesota, Wiggins chatted on the phone with Miles about a fresh start in San Francisco. After 5 ½ seasons with the Timberwolves defined by unmet expectations, Wiggins listened intently as Miles described a Warriors culture that encourages players to be themselves.

“This will be exactly what you need,” Miles recalled telling Wiggins.

If anyone with Golden State understands how to finally maximize Wiggins’ potential, it’s Miles — the only person in the organization who knew Wiggins personally before Wiggins touched down in the Bay Area two weeks ago. The two have kept in contact since Miles, who has an offseason home in Lawrence, Kan., trained regularly with Wiggins during Wiggins’ freshman year at Kansas in 2013-14.

To figure out how to best work with Wiggins, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr consulted with Miles shortly after news broke of the trade with Minnesota. It didn’t take long for Kerr to put Miles in charge of Wiggins’ player-development plan. Over the past 10 days, Miles and Wiggins have mapped out game-day and off-day routines that helped fuel Wiggins’ early success with the Warriors.

In three games, Wiggins is averaging 23 points on 57.5% shooting (53.3% from 3-point range), four assists, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks. Two of his biggest weaknesses with the Timberwolves — shot selection and defensive effort — are beginning to look like strengths.

“That’s my guy,” Wiggins said of Miles. “I’m glad he’s here because he’s really helped me through the whole process.”

Though Wiggins will take on more of a complementary role when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson return from injuries, he is showing that, at 24, he still can become a key member of a title contender. Part of the reason Golden State was comfortable gambling on Wiggins was Miles’ insistence that Wiggins has long been misunderstood.

When Wiggins arrived at Kansas in summer 2013 as the No. 1 recruit in the nation, Miles — the Jayhawks’ all-time assists leader — was working out in Lawrence ahead of his third consecutive season in Russia. Over the next several months, Miles became a mentor of sorts to Wiggins and fellow incoming freshman Joel Embiid, telling them how to get on head coach Bill Self’s good side and handle scrutiny.

At the time, Self was critical of Wiggins’ approach to offseason workouts. Instead of arriving at the gym early to lift weights or get up shots, Wiggins hung out in his apartment, playing video games and joking with teammates.

But whenever Miles played with Wiggins in pickup, he saw Wiggins go against the opponent’s best player and dominate on both ends. After Miles flew to Samara, Russia, that September for training camp with Krasnye Krylya, he tracked Wiggins’ progress closely and was pleased when Self told him, “I’m realizing that Andrew is actually really competitive.”

When the Warriors traded D’Angelo Russell and two others for Wiggins and two future draft picks, Miles told Kerr not to be put off by Wiggins’ even-keeled demeanor. Unlike forward Draymond Green, whose vocal leadership was a driving force behind Golden State’s recent dynasty, Wiggins is quiet and reserved.

“His competitiveness isn’t going to look like you want it to look, but he’s a great guy and very coachable,” Miles said. “From my experience, he was always good to my people.”

When Wiggins joined the Warriors, Kerr told himself that Wiggins would need roughly three months to get acclimated to their system. That’s about how long it took Kevin Durant to find a rhythm after he signed with Golden State in summer 2016.

Though the dynamics on both sides of the court will change when Curry and Thompson come back, Wiggins — a ball-dominant swingman in Minnesota — appears tailor-made for the Warriors’ movement-heavy scheme. Free to shoot spot-up 3-pointers, attack closeouts, run the break, make the easy pass and play hard on defense, he has reinforced why Miles believed Wiggins could blossom into a franchise building block.

What excites Miles is that he is still in the relative early stages of building a bond with Wiggins. The two talked from time to time over the past half-decade, but they now have the opportunity to get to know each other on a deeper level.

“Aaron’s been such a huge help during this whole acclimation process with Andrew,” Kerr said. “Aaron’s so good at relating to the guys, and I know he’ll continue to be a huge asset for Andrew for a long time.”

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron