The Los Angeles Lakers made a few offseason moves to upgrade their roster, but not enough to completely change the fate of their franchise. The additions of Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, and Jake LaRavia will certainly help, but the Lakers have not significantly improved from the team that was run off the gym against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
With Luka Doncic looking better than ever physically and entering his prime, the Lakers owe it to themselves to build the best supporting cast around him as possible. The team still has major holes, especially in the frontcourt, and could use more athleticism, defensive versatility, and shooting.
Fortunately for them, there is one player seemingly on the trade block who can check a lot of these boxes at the same time for the Lakers.
Andrew Wiggins Should Be Near the Top of Lakers’ Trade Wishlist
Andrew Wiggins, who was dealt to the Miami Heat at last season’s trade deadline, is considered to be on the block again. In fact, Sam Amico of HoopsWire just mentioned him as “the main man to watch for the Heat” as Miami “looks like a middle-of-the-pack team” once again.
Miami has been stuck in purgatory for the past few years, and with the departure of Jimmy Butler, they are nowhere near contention. They have already made moves for tax savings this offseason, moving on from Haywood Highsmith in a salary dump last week. Wiggins is due $28.2 million for next season and should be considered a natural trade candidate for a team that isn’t going anywhere.
Wiggins would immediately become the best perimeter defender for the Lakers, taking on the tough defensive assignments night in and night out. He has the three-and-D skillset the Lakers desperately need on the wing, and Wiggins can do a lot more with the ball in his hands than your typical three-and-D player.
The former NBA champion and All-Star with the Golden State Warriors, Wiggins, can be acquired by the Lakers with an unprotected first-round pick and matching salary.
A combination of Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber, and Dalton Knecht, alongside draft capital (maybe including pick swaps), should be enough to entice the Heat to move on from Wiggins. Whether GM Rob Pelinka goes all-in around the current Lakers core with a move like this, however, remains to be seen.
