The former All-Star can reportedly be had via trade.
The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the 2025 offseason with some distinct needs on their roster, the most notable is finding an upgrade at the center position.
Big man needs aside, there are other areas of the roster where Rob Pelinka could make upgrades and give second-year head coach JJ Redick even more options to work with.
As the postseason proved, Redick’s seven-man rotation showed he only trusted a small group of players to be on the floor when it mattered the most.
It is hard to win in today’s NBA when you’re playing that short of a rotation, and, despite his greatness, one of the main players depended upon to produce on both ends is on the wrong side of 40 years old.
That makes Wednesday’s news of a former All-Star coming available on the trade market something worth keeping an eye on.
Lakers Would Be Foolish Not to Pursue Miami Heat SF Andrew Wiggins
According to longtime Miami Herald reporter Barry Jackson, the Miami Heat desperately want to clear out cap space to have enough money available for a max contract slot in the summer of 2026.
One of the ways that Pat Riley and the brain trust in South Beach have under consideration to achieve that goal is trading away former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins in exchange for an expiring contract.
Incidentally, trading Wiggins for an expiring contract would leave the Heat close to (but just short) of space to offer someone a max deal in 53 weeks. They could create that space by trading their 1st tonight or next year’s first for a future pick. This doesn’t count Kyle…
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) June 25, 2025
As things stand, Los Angeles is set to enter the 2025-26 campaign with Rui Hachimura at the top of the depth chart at the small forward position.
Hachimura is a fine player, but Wiggins would represent a clear upgrade at that spot on both ends of the floor.
If expiring contracts are all that it would take to bring Wiggins into the fold, Pelinka should be doing whatever background work is necessary before engaging in conversations with Miami. Not counting LeBron James, the Lakers have five players on the roster for next season on expiring contracts. There are several avenues they can attempt to take to acquire Wiggins.
Taking on the former Kansas Jayhawks standout wouldn’t place the Purple and Gold in dire financial straits either. Wiggins is set to earn just over $28.2 million for the 2025-26 season and owns a player option for $30.1 million for the 2026-27 campaign.
With the salary cap continuing to rise in the coming years, the odds that Wiggins opts out of that final year in this current contract in hopes of finding a new, long-term deal seem strong.
Until LeBron decides to call it quits, the makeup of Los Angeles’ rosters will largely be built to maximize every ounce of potential that James has left in hopes that it brings the Lakers another championship.
Getting a year of Wiggins for guys who don’t have the trust of Redick seems like a no-brainer for Pelinka and the front office if they can get a deal done.
