If the Lakers want to trade for Andrew Wiggins, it sounds like they are going to have to give up a lot of assets.
During NBA free agency, we have buyers and sellers. The Lakers are clearly in a position of buying while a team like the Heat, who lost Duncan Robinson this summer and traded Jimmy Butler during the season, appears closer to the other end of the spectrum.
The Lakers, like most teams in the league, are seeking ways to upgrade their roster with versatile players. Andrew Wiggins has been a name thrown around as a potential trade target. Even in a down year, when he was traded midseason from Golden State to Miami, he averaged 18 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
At 29, he’s a veteran who is not too old and remains two-way Wiggins. He’s a defensive irritant on the perimeter, able to force turnovers and guard multiple positions.
Wiggins is set to make over $28 million next year and has a player option for the 2026-27 season. So, if the Lakers want to pursue Wiggins, a trade must be executed.
What would the Heat want in return for Wiggins? During a livestream on his YouTube channel, Lakers reporter Jovan Buha speculated on the kind of package he’s heard the Lakers may have to present to potentially land Wiggins. And spoiler, it’s a lot!
“I’ve reported/shared what I’ve heard, which is that they’ve been asking for like the first and Dalton [Knecht], which I think is an overpay for Wiggins. And I think they also want Rui [Hachimura] too, because they want to remain competitive and obviously Rui’s a better player than Gabe [Vincent] or Maxi [Kleber]. So I think that Miami’s asking price needs to drop, as I’ve said before.”
No trade is better than a bad trade. If acquiring Wiggins means giving up your only first-round draft asset, a promising rookie in Dalton Knecht and a starter like Rui Hachimura, then you politely end the conversation.
The Lakers are not a Wiggins away from contention, and one could argue it would even be a step backward. Hachimura had a productive year as a starter, averaging 13.1 points while shooting a team-best 41.3% from 3-point range.
During the postseason, Hachimura was one of the few players who actually stepped up and elevated his game while everyone else had nebulous excuses for their dip in production.
If you give Hachimura up for Wiggins AND you’re also including Knecht AND a first, you better be sure he is the missing piece to a title run. As the Lakers are currently constructed, this trade would be activity excused as progress.
Again, this is theoretical and conversations can change when it comes to the Heat and getting a deal done. Last year, there were moments when the President of the Heat, Pat Riley, said they were not trading Jimmy Butler. In the end, Butler was sent to the Warriors.
So, we’ll see if the asking price remains steep, drops, or if Wiggins is even available.
For now, if this is around what it takes to land Wiggins, then Laker fans should be hoping he remains at South Beach.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.