The Los Angeles Lakers could pursue Andrew Wiggins if the Miami Heat indicate they’re willing to part with the veteran forward, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“So my sense is that the Lakers would have interest if the Heat, in coming weeks or months, decide to prioritize financial flexibility and look to reduce payroll,” Stein wrote Monday.
He added that the Lakers “will be on the lookout, I’m told, for the proverbial right deal to present itself to upgrade on the wing if possible.”
“As I understand it: The Lakers’ reluctance in the early stages of the offseason to consider trades for contracts that stretch beyond the 2025-26 season has thawed somewhat,” Stein said.
“I don’t think that means they’ll swing a deal for just anyone between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but league sources say L.A. would indeed have interest in adding a two-way swingman who can raise their ceiling.”
Wiggins qualifies as a two-way wing, but The Athletic’s Dan Woike threw some cold water on this idea in July. Appearing on The Zach Lowe Show (via Robert Marvi of LeBron Wire), Woike bluntly said the Lakers were “not interested in Andrew Wiggins.”
It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Granted, the organization’s mindset may have evolved since then.
Thanks to Luka Dončić agreeing to a three-year, $160.8 million extension, general manager Rob Pelinka has a better idea of the payroll moving forward. Dončić’s decision means L.A. no longer faces the threat of losing him and LeBron James in the same offseason.
Wiggins’ $30.2 million player option looks much different if he’s on a team suddenly thrust into a rebuild rather than one trying to win a title.
This could all be a moot point. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported in July that Miami “wants to see what this mix will look like” on the court. To that end, Wiggins is expected to stay put in South Florida.
Even if that amounts to posturing by the Heat in an effort to drive up trade interest, it doesn’t sound as though they’re content to give up the 30-year-old largely for salary relief.
If Wiggins can be acquired for a reasonable price, then it’s something worth considering for Los Angeles.
