Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins has been one of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ primary trade targets this offseason. After initial negotiations died down due to Miami’s asking price for Wiggins, L.A. made a recharged effort to acquire the forward.
The front office’s new effort primarily stemmed from the implications of Luka Doncic‘s contract extension and what it would mean for the franchise’s championship outlook. With the Slovenian star locked in for the foreseeable future, the Purple and Gold could afford to commit to building a title-contending squad around him.
While the renewed effort presented a positive outlook for the Lakers’ title picture, owing to the potential impact Wiggins’ addition could have on Los Angeles’ roster, the deal eventually fell through.
Although rumors have indicated that personal agendas would prevent the Heat from completing this deal, the Purple and Gold could still look to pursue Andrew Wiggins to maximize their chances of winning the title. With this in mind, we explore a potential trade idea that would allow the Lakers to finally acquire their favored offseason target.
Proposed Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Kevin Love
Miami Heat Receive: Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, 2031 first-round pick
Utah Jazz Receive: Maxi Kleber, 2032 second-round pick
The Utah Jazz play the role of facilitators in this trade, but in an overall sense, this deal is catered to the Lakers, as it helps them make two vital moves to finalize their roster ahead of their title push.
Why Do The Jazz Do This Deal?
This trade has virtually little impact on the Utah Jazz. Given that Kevin Love‘s acquisition was an outcome of the John Collins trade, the Jazz didn’t necessarily see any upside from his arrival.
Given that the Jazz are currently a team featuring a lot of young talent, it is unlikely for a player like Love to receive much playing time. Similarly, a capable veteran like Maxi Kleber, who could still be a solid mentor to the Jazz’s young big men, may not have much of a role in the system. However, his status as an expiring contract could still be of value to Utah.
Kleber is currently on an $11.0 million contract. When compared to Love’s $4.1 million contract value, acquiring Kleber could present more merit as it allows them to shed $6.9 million more in salary once his contract expires next summer.
Along with the big man, the Jazz will also benefit from adding one second-round draft pick in this deal. Given their inclination to build upon their pre-existing wealth of draft assets, Utah could view this addition positively.
What Do The Heat Stand To Gain?
Although the Heat may hesitate to part with Andrew Wiggins, recent developments could potentially convince the franchise to make some moves.
This deal sees the Miami Heat receive Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt, two solid veterans who could be contributors in the rotation. Vincent, who has been a key rotation player for the Heat between 2021-23, has cemented himself as a reliable point guard with defensive and perimeter shooting upside. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is viewed as an elite defensive prospect on the wings with impressive switchability.
With the Lakers, Vincent averaged 6.4 points, 1.4 assists, and 0.7 steals per game on 40.0% shooting from the field and 35.3% from the three-point line last season. While this wasn’t as impactful, primarily due to his role being limited, he was far more productive on the stat sheet during his time in Miami.
Vincent’s familiarity and experience with the Heat could be viewed as a major upside. When additionally considering Tyler Herro’s absence, having an experienced point guard in the rotation could be valuable.
Vanderbilt’s addition may not be valued highly when considering his stats from last season, as he only averaged 4.1 points and 5.1 rebounds on 48.8% shooting overall. However, after an offseason of recovering and returning to full strength, the forward is poised to be a more significant player in the rotation.
His switchability and defensive instincts, paired with his innate athleticism and physical tools, make him a formidable presence on the defensive end. Given that he can guard multiple positions, even picking up the task of marking point guards at times, the Heat could benefit from adding another point of attack defender to their rotation.
Vanderbilt’s addition could make up for Wiggins’ presence on the defensive end, but it is also worth noting how it impacts the rest of Miami’s rotation. Although Vanderbilt would effectively come off the bench, with Andrew Wiggins headed out of Miami in this scenario, the Heat could look to Nikola Jovic to fill the vacancy in the starting lineup.
Given the expectations of Jovic to be more impactful this season, especially after an impressive series of performances at EuroBasket, the Heat could benefit from doing this trade primarily because of the developmental implications on their core unit.
How Does This Trade Help The Lakers?
Andrew Wiggins has long since been viewed as the ideal fit for the Los Angeles Lakers. The forward has established himself as a reliable two-way player, additionally boasting reliable shot creation ability, athleticism, perimeter shooting ability, and a championship pedigree owed to his experience with the Golden State Warriors.
For all reasons and purposes, having a player like Andrew Wiggins would be a significant boost to the Lakers’ roster strength. Although it would imply moving a player such as Rui Hachimura, who is capable in his own right, to the second unit, the depth of this nature can only be of merit to Los Angeles.
The 30-year-old has already shown himself to be a productive player, even as a secondary or tertiary scoring option. After joining the Heat last season, Andrew Wiggins embraced a greater role on offense. With an uptick in production, he averaged 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game on 45.8% shooting from the field and 36.0% from three-point range.
In the Lakers’ starting lineup, alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic, Wiggins possesses all the necessary attributes and skills to ensure that he can be a valuable contributor to the team’s efforts.
Along with Andrew Wiggins, Los Angeles would also acquire Kevin Love from the Jazz in this trade.
For the 2024-25 season, Love averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds, shooting 35.8% from three-point range. While Love would be limited as a contributor on the floor, primarily acting as a reliable floor spacing big man and outlet passer, the veteran brings a lot to the table from the perspective of experience and locker room presence.
Having a solid role player on the bench and in the locker room has proven to be effective in helping the team sustain its performances over the course of the regular season. Given Love’s experience, the Lakers could look to him as a positive influence behind closed doors.
Should The Lakers Pursue Andrew Wiggins?
Acquiring Andrew Wiggins may align with a lot of the Lakers’ goals, potentially even transforming them into a title contender. However, if the rumors regarding Pat Riley are to be believed, the Lakers may simply be wasting their effort by continuing their pursuit of the forward.
Given that the regular season is roughly over a week away, the Lakers are only likely to make a move during the course of the season. With this in mind, Los Angeles is better served by shifting its attention toward other wing players around the league and making a decision based on a critical assessment of their performance.
