Following the acquisition of Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia in free agency, analysts around the country believe that the Lakers are not yet done with their moves in the offseason. Since they are reportedly considering James to be an expiring contract now, the Lakers have four potential expiring contracts that they could trade to make changes to their roster: James, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, and Maxi Kleber.
According to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints, the Lakers were in touch with the Heat to discuss a potential package that would land Andrew Wiggins in LA. But since they were so focused on trading for a center first, those talks became stagnant. Now that they have signed Ayton as a free agent, those talks can now resume any day and see the 2014 No. 1 pick potentially land in LA to join the Lakers.
Wiggins is an 11-year veteran in the NBA who averages 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists through his career. He was initially drafted by the Cavaliers, then traded to the Timberwolves within days, where he won the Rookie of the Year award. He was then traded to the Warriors for D’Angelo Russell, where he eventually got his first All-Star selection and an NBA championship.
Wiggins is entering the final year of his guaranteed contract and will have a player option for the 2026-27 season. In the 2025-26 season, he is owed $28.2 million in salary and will have a $30.1 million player option in the following year. With Tyler Herro up for a potential extension next summer, the Heat could likely want to avoid the clashing timelines for the two players and free up as much space to cement their cornerstone player (Herro) down to the team for his long-term future.
The Heat could make a blockbuster move and combine Wiggins and Terry Rozier in a deal for LeBron James, but it is highly unlikely that the Heat will accept that. Therefore, a package around Rui Hachimura combined with either Gabe Vincent or Maxi Kleber seems far more likely if the trade were to go through.
If Wiggins ends up on the Lakers without trading LeBron James away, then he would become the 10th No. 1 overall pick in NBA history to play on the same team as LeBron James. Currently, James already holds the record for most No. 1 picks, having played on the same roster as him.
The other nine players are:
Deandre Ayton – The Lakers’ most recent free agency acquisition.
Anthony Davis – Played together on the Lakers from 2019 to February 2025.
Dwight Howard – Played together for the Lakers in 2020.
Derrick Rose – They were teammates for 16 games in the 2017-18 season when Rose played for the Cavaliers.
Kyrie Irving – Played together for three seasons on the Cavaliers (2014-17).
Andrew Bogut – Shortest duration among all; joined the Cavaliers in February 2017 before he got injured and was waived within a matter of days. But still, he was on the same roster as James.
Greg Oden – They played together on the Heat for one season during the 2013-14 season before Oden retired.
Joe Smith – Cavaliers teammates for two seasons (2008 and 2009)
Shaquille O’Neal – James and O’Neal were teammates for only one season in the Cavaliers (2010), and they played together for only 53 games before James went to the Heat in free agency the next summer.
The Lakers were looking for an athletic wing who is also a lob threat to play alongside Doncic in the long run. At 30 years old, Wiggins might be the perfect short-term solution for them, at least until 2027, which is when they plan to sign a superstar. Meanwhile, Wiggins’ athleticism and veteran experience make him a valuable potential addition to the Lakers.
