Just over six months after being dealt by the Golden State Warriors to the Miami Heat, Andrew Wiggins has once again emerged in trade speculation and specifically with a move to the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported on the Lakers interest in Wiggins last week, but any chance of the former No. 1 overall pick landing back in the pacific division by the start of the season appears unlikely.

The Heat are looking to keep Andrew Wiggins for the moment

According to NBA insider Brett Siegel in a report for Clutch Points on Wednesday, the Heat have held Wiggins in high regard from a trade standpoint and are expected to keep the former Warrior in South Beach entering the season.

“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,” Siegel wrote.

With former L.A. Clippers guard Norman Powell coming in and Wiggins having only played 17 regular season games with the Heat himself last season, it’s understandable that Miami would want to hold patient and see what they’ve got before making any significant trade manoeuvres.

There’s also still a chance they’d like to use Wiggins’ salary and value in an upgrade trade, rather than ship him off to the Lakers for expiring contracts and future draft capital. Whatever the case may be, this is positive news for the Warriors on multiple fronts.

Firstly, it screws over the Lakers and their hopes of finding a three-and-D wing after losing Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency. Many regard Los Angeles and Golden State in a similar tier within the Western Conference, but landing Wiggins could have been difference-making enough to surge the Lakers ahead in most people’s opinion.

Secondly, if the Heat do decide they’re willing to move on from Wiggins mid-season, the Warriors themselves would be in a position to try and re-acquire their 2022 All-Star to add to Butler, and of course Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

Golden State don’t really have the salary-matching tools to make that practical right now, but they would in January or February if Jonathan Kuminga’s back on a contract that’s in the same vicinity as the $28.2 million Wiggins will make this season.

The Heat remaining patient and ahold of Wiggins for the moment is exactly what the Warriors wanted to hear, even if it’s nothing more than a very slight positive amid all of their own free agency and roster drama.