The Los Angeles Lakers had shown significant interest in acquiring Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins this offseason. Although Miami shut down any attempts made by the Lakers to reopen trade negotiations, recent updates indicate that the Purple and Gold are still interested in acquiring the former All-Star.
NBA insider Jake Fischer shared that the Lakers were keeping tabs on Andrew Wiggins’ availability in trade talks by saying, “We’ve heard for some time now that the Lakers know they need some improvements on the wing. Andrew Wiggins has been a name that they are monitoring if Miami were to make him available.”
“I think that those are the two spots that the Lakers are really going to be looking at on the trade market there,” Fischer continued. “They are going to be looking at lob threat big men and two-way wings.”
After identifying the profile for the Lakers’ targets in a trade, Fischer shed light on what Los Angeles would be willing to offer in a trade.
“So what type of outgoing salary could that mean? I mean, they have a good chunk by combining Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent, in the event that they do see someone they identify and want to go target and add,” he said. “But I think, at this point in time, 11-4, LeBron just came back, the Lakers could also be in a ‘wait and see’ mode. See what this group really looks like.”
As Fischer mentioned, with an 11-4 record, the Lakers are in a solid position to start the season. With LeBron James only returning to the team last week, the Purple and Gold appear far more competitive than expected.
Should The Lakers Pursue Andrew Wiggins?
The Miami Heat went into the 2025-26 season as a dark horse in the East. At this stage, with an 11-6 record, sitting in third place in the East, the Heat have been terrific.
Andrew Wiggins’ contributions have been a huge factor in helping Miami remain competitive. With Tyler Herro sidelined and Bam Adebayo missing six consecutive games before making his return recently, Wiggins played a key role in filling in for the stars.
Statistically, the former All-Star seems to be underperforming, averaging 16.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 48.1% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range this season. However, considering that the Heat have leaned more on scoring by committee than individual effort, this drop-off in production is justified.
For the Lakers, acquiring Andrew Wiggins at this stage may not be considered worthwhile, primarily since the team has looked comfortable with its current rotation. However, considering their title aspirations, the Purple and Gold may need to make upgrades.
Although Wiggins was made unavailable in trade talks this offseason, Los Angeles will hope that acquiring him will emerge as an option they can explore at some point in the future.
