The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to a lot of players, as always, this offseason, but team insider Jovan Buha says there is one top target. Buha reacted to the recent chatter about Miami Heat wing Andrew Wiggins on Buha’s Block by sharing that he has been their primary target for much of this offseason.
“I’m currently skeptical that they could pull off a Wiggins trade without including a first,” Buha stated. “I don’t know if Rui [Hachimura] and Dalton [Knecht] is enough or Rui, Dalton, and Gabe [Vincent], something like that. I don’t think that’s enough. My understanding is they are still hesitant to put a first-round pick on the table.
“I think it would have to be a long-term upgrade, a long-term piece to put next to Luka Doncic,” Buha continued. “I don’t think Andrew Wiggins quite reaches that level in their eyes… If they can swing it with Rui and Dalton or some combination of that general framework, uh, I think that is something that they would be interested in.
“I think Wiggins seems to be the top target for now, and he’s been the top target for most of the summer,” Buha added. “The Lakers are going to see what can we get with Rui, some unappealing expirings in Gabe Vincent, or a Maxi Kleber, a Dalton Knecht, and then we have seconds and swaps or one second and multiple swaps to throw in.”
Buha had reported back in July what the Heat’s asking price for Wiggins was. They wanted Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, and a first-round pick for the 30-year-old, who 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 Lakers weren’t keen on matching that.
That first-round pick remains an asset they are hesitant to put on the table, but the Lakers would like to bring in Wiggins if the price is right. They are willing to be a bit more aggressive now that Luka Doncic has signed a three-year, $165 million extension.
As for when the Lakers make their next roster move, Buha thinks it’s possible we see a trade before training camp, but it’s likelier to be between December and the deadline.
“Sometimes teams pick up talks right before camp to try and get something figured out so that player can be there for media day, the start of camp, etc,” Buha stated. “So, I would assume there’d be some urgency here to try and figure something out before the beginning of camp.
“I wouldn’t rule that out,” Buha continued. “But I would say that the most likely outcome continues to be them going into the season with this group and potentially making a move at the earliest, around that December 15th mark when free agents who just re-signed with their team can be traded.
“So, I think again, there’s a chance they could figure something out here with Miami or someone else before the season starts,” Buha added. “I would assume that this goes into the season and that they potentially make a move sometime between late December through the trade deadline.”
The Lakers impressed last season by getting the third seed in the West with a 50-32 record. They lost in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, though, and brought in Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia in free agency to bolster the roster.
The Lakers still aren’t viewed as a top contender, and we’ll have to wait and see what trade, if any, they make in the coming weeks and months.
