The Los Angeles Lakers have made some notable additions to their roster this offseason, and they could potentially be making another in the coming weeks. NBA insider Evan Sidery reports that the Lakers and the Miami Heat have resumed discussions over an Andrew Wiggins trade.
“The Heat and Lakers have reopened discussions on a potential Andrew Wiggins trade ahead of training camp. Los Angeles is very open to moving former first-round pick Dalton Knecht alongside necessary expiring salary. Miami wants a future first-round pick attached in the package.”
Wiggins averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks for the Heat and Golden State Warriors in 2024-25. The 30-year-old is the kind of two-way wing you want next to Luka Doncic, and he’d be a solid addition to the team.
The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported that the Lakers weren’t interested in Wiggins earlier this summer, but he is now a more desirable player. Doncic’s signing a three-year, $165 million extension has led to the front office being willing to be a bit more aggressive, but they are only making a deal if the price is right.
Sidery states that the Lakers are willing to give up Dalton Knecht and players on expiring contracts for Wiggins. Knecht’s stint with the Lakers had already seemed over last season, when he was sent to the Charlotte Hornets as part of the package for Mark Williams.
The Lakers later rescinded the Williams trade due to health concerns, and Knecht was back on the team. He failed to gain head coach JJ Redick’s trust, however, barely featuring in the first round series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Knecht, the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, finished his rookie season with averages of 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game. The 24-year-old sharpshooter looked to be untouchable in trade talks at the start of last season, but is now very much available.
As for the players on expiring contracts, they’d be Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Maxi Kleber. You’d imagine the Lakers would like to hold on to Hachimura, but he’s a far more desirable asset compared to Vincent and Kleber. It was reported earlier in the offseason that the Heat indeed wanted Hachimura, Knecht, and a first-round pick.
That first-round pick is something the Lakers aren’t putting on the table just yet. With Wiggins not pushing for a trade, though, you’d think this deal won’t go through unless the Heat get that pick, but time will tell.
The Lakers’ pursuit of Wiggins does show that they realize there’s a need for another quality wing defender. Defense is certainly the biggest weakness for this team, and the front office addressed it to an extent this summer.
The Lakers signed Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia in free agency, and selected Adou Thiero in the draft. Smart, the 2022 DPOY, is the best defender of this bunch, but has struggled to stay healthy. Ayton and LaRavia, meanwhile, aren’t slouches defensively, but they aren’t terrific on that end of the floor by any stretch.
As for Thiero, he certainly has the potential to be a very good defender in the NBA, but he’s unlikely to make much of an impact as a rookie. So, further roster upgrades are needed.
The Lakers have to figure out a way to land Wiggins or a player of that profile if they are to become one of the top contenders in the West next season.
