The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors both need to find ways to improve their roster before the start of the season, but neither wants to give up any real assets in a potential deal. Instead of scouring the market for upgrades they can’t pay the price of, the two teams could look at each other and help out by making a deal to swap out players that might work better on the other team.
The Warriors have had a hard time with Andrew Wiggins over the last two seasons, with personal issues causing Wiggins to struggle on the court and miss loads of time. Hachimura has been decent for the Lakers but is limited in the 3-and-D ability that the Lakers need from their forwards. As a result, swapping the two players seems ideal.
Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Andrew Wiggins
Golden State Warriors: Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, 2025 Second-Round Pick (LAC)
The pick value in a deal like this is hard to gauge. While Hachimura is younger, Wiggins is proven at a much higher level than Hachimura as a former 20-point scorer and NBA Champion. While question marks around him make his value pretty low, the Lakers are sending Gabe Vincent’s contract to Golden State as well, warranting the Warriors to be a recipient of a second-round pick from the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Lakers Hope To Revitalize Andrew Wiggins
This deal carries tremendous risk for the Lakers with where Wiggins is at as a player. The version of Wiggins we saw in the Warriors 2022 title run is arguably the perfect complementary role-player on a star-led team we’ve ever seen. He was a phenomenal defender and was ready to embrace situations where he had to be the team’s secondary offensive option behind Stephen Curry.
He’s fallen from that peak rapidly in the last two seasons, averaging 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds last year as the Warriors failed to make the Playoffs. The Lakers need to add Wiggins’ defensive pressure on the wing to make up for the porous D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves backcourt, giving Anthony Davis a legitimate defensive option on the perimeter to play off. LeBron’s defensive effort in his age-40 season will not be high enough, and Wiggins is far more talented on that end than Hachimura.
Hachimura has had peaks and troughs on the Lakers, but moving him for a potential upgrade like Wiggins without giving up any real draft assets might be a worthy risk for the Lakers. They don’t need Wiggins to become an elite scorer again, but if he can hit his shots at a respectable rate and defend with enough aggression, this is an upgrade for the Lakers compared to Taurean Prince who played this role for a bulk of last season.
The Warriors Commit To A New Identity
The Golden State Warriors have essentially completely re-tooled the team around Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, along with the young core on the roster. Win-now players such as Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson have joined the franchise. With Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga being held back by the Warriors in potential All-Star caliber trades, it’s safe to assume the team will be committing to those two alongside the Curry and Green partnership.
With the team considering moving Wiggins in the winter to give Kuminga more room to grow and now refusing to trade for Lauri Markkanen, it seems they have to double down on Kuminga and open out space for him by trading away Wiggins to the Lakers. Acquiring Hachimura, who averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds last season, gives them added versatility off the bench. He can play both forward positions while being a decent scorer and switchable defender.
Hachimura has no one trait he’s elite at but has emerged as a serviceable plug-and-play forward who could be a secondary scorer on specific games if he’s hot. Gabe Vincent couldn’t play much last season due to injury, but he could be a decent backup guard behind Curry, with proven 3-and-D abilities of his own with a flash of playmaking.
What Grade Should This Trade Be?
This is an awkward deal for the rival franchises, as they’re taking some bets on the incoming assets. However, this deal does have the makings of a somewhat coherent deal, though can’t be called ideal for either franchise.
Los Angeles Lakers: B-
The Lakers, in my opinion, get an unquestionable upgrade on their roster with Wiggins. Even in a bad season, Wiggins is a better wing complement to LeBron than he’s had since Kyle Kuzma was on the franchise. He’s athletic and has improved his decision-making over four seasons with the Warriors. He seems to have plateaued on the franchise, so a change in scenery might be perfect for him.
Hachimura could play a bigger role under new head coach JJ Redick, but we’ve seen him in multiple big spots over the last two seasons. While he has shown up to some of the many battles the Lakers have had, he’s had more anonymous performances that the Lakers can’t afford. He is a proven fit next to LeBron and AD, but the Lakers won’t get better if they aren’t willing to take risks like this.
Golden State Warriors: B
The Warriors can’t be mad at this deal. They might have a higher value on Wiggins given what he did for the franchise in 2022, but they would be hard-pressed to find a team to pay them that for Wiggins while also giving them a current rotational player they could use. Hachimura might not be as developed as Wiggins, but he has proven to be a reliable option in the right role. Vincent’s contract is not ideal, but the Warriors have the space to manage it for at least another season before he’s on an expiring contract.
There is baggage between the Wiggins and Warriors, so a fresh start for the player might be the best case. Hachimura could fit alongside the frontline, whether he’s playing behind Draymond and Kuminga or alongside them in lineups where Draymond is at the five. There might be better shape for the team given they have the better player, but they also seem to be getting a better deal.
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