For a few weeks now, the Lakers have been looking for an athletic 3-and-D wing to complement Luka Doncic’s style of play. Sources initially viewed Andrew Wiggins as a good fit, but a Lakers insider quickly shut it down at the time, as LeBron James was being discussed as part of the potential trade.
Subsequently, reports emerged that the Lakers are seriously considering Wiggins as a trade target to add alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. However, without James in the picture, the deal seems even less likely. Therefore, another NBA insider claims these rumors are baseless and false.
According to Brett Siegel, the NBA insider, the Miami Heat are not interested in listening to offers for the former NBA champion and are not presently in any negotiations with the Lakers regarding a potential trade.
“Since he was traded to the Miami Heat, Wiggins was involved in a lot of trade chatter this offseason. Those same rumors from July have once again surfaced before training camp and the preseason, specifically involving the Lakers’ longstanding interest in the 3-and-D wing.”
“Right now, the Heat don’t hold much of a desire to trade Wiggins and are operating under the mindset of waiting to see how things play out during the first few months of the regular season, sources said. Miami has held a high asking price for the former first-overall pick, one that the Lakers haven’t been willing to meet.”
Andrew Wiggins would be a perfect fit alongside Doncic, but it seems the Heat still has other plans for him. He replaced Jimmy Butler in their starting lineup last season after the February trade and averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 37.4% from three-point range.
As a potential fourth option on the Lakers, Wiggins would’ve instantly propelled them to serious championship contenders. We have discussed several trade packages around Wiggins, but considering the Heat’s lack of willingness to come to the negotiation table, it is unlikely that they will let Wiggins go without taking at least Austin Reaves in return.
Reaves is currently the third option on the Lakers and is expected to command over $30 million next season in his extension. He intends to retire as a Lakers player and doesn’t want to go anywhere else. In the 2024-25 season, Reaves averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 37.7% from beyond the arc.
If the Lakers end up including Reaves in a deal for Wiggins, they wouldn’t gain much in terms of the roster strength to compete for a championship. And without Reaves’ inclusion, the deal seems unlikely to even be up for discussion. Therefore, I agree with Siegel’s analysis that it is very unlikely that Wiggins ends up with the Lakers this offseason.
