Andrew Wiggins‘ long-term future with the Miami Heat appears to be in doubt. The former NBA champion has found himself at the center of trade rumors in recent weeks, with the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly an interested party.
In a recent article from ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, Wiggins was tabbed as a frontrunner to be moved on, around or before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
“In recent years, instead of waiting until the offseason to do so, teams have taken the initiative to go all-in at the trade deadline,” Siegel wrote. “We are expecting much of the same to happen before February during the 2025-26 season…Immediately, the trade market points in the direction of three key names: Andrew Wiggins, RJ Barrett, and Jonathan Kuminga.”
Wiggins joined the Heat in February, having been part of the package that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Under Erik Spoelstra, Wiggins suited up for 17 games for the Heat, averaging 19 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He shot the rock at a 45.8% clip from two-point range and 36% clip from deep.
Miami is slowly pivoting toward a younger roster. Pat Riley has drafted well in recent years. As such, the Heat could be open to parting with Wiggins, assuming the return helped them continue to build a new timeline and the deal was seen as fair.
Heat Have High Price Tag on Wiggins
According to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints, the Heat’s high asking price has stalled trade discussions for Wiggins.
“One story and the one that I heard more directly, was that the Miami Heat were asking for Rui Hachimura,” Irwin said on his podcast, The Lakers Lounge. “They were asking for a first-round pick. They were asking for Gabe Vincent, whom they like, and potentially also Dalton Knecht. The Lakers, I think, would be fine moving on from Dalton for Wiggins. They would obviously also be fine moving on from Gabe Vincent for Andrew Wiggins.”
Irwin continued.
“And I also think they would probably be mostly fine moving off of Rui Hachimura for Andrew Wiggins, but they definitely did not want to include Rui and the one first-round pick that they can move this season. And so that was where again I heard directly that those talks kind of broke down.”
Wiggins would undoubtedly be a strong addition to the Lakers’ roster. However, Riley drives a hard bargain, which could force discussions deep into the season.
Knecht Would Make Sense For Heat
Adding Dalton Knecht would be the type of move that helps the Heat continue building a future-proof young core. He would provide floor spacing and ball-handling on the perimeter and would fit well next to Kasparas Jakucionis, Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Unfortunately, Knecht wouldn’t instantly elevate the Heat’s roster. Therefore, Riley may look elsewhere for a return on Wiggins. Yet, if Spoelstra can prove that he can keep Miami competitive while retooling, adding the sharpshooting sophomore to the rotation would be another step toward a future-proof roster.
Trade talk surrounding Wiggins isn’t going to end anytime soon. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what trade packages are floated in the rumor mill over the coming weeks and months.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Heat Star Could Emerge As Trade Deadline Candidate appeared first on Heavy Sports.