The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in an interesting spot this offseason. After swinging a massive trade with the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic last season, the team handed him a three-year, $165 million contract extension earlier this month. However, they have also seen LeBron James’ name pop up in a slew of trade rumors as he nears the end of his career.
For the most part, the Lakers have made the majority of the moves they are going to make this offseason, but there are still players available who could help the team maximize their title window with James on their roster. One such player who fits that bill is Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, whom L.A. has been urged to go out and trade for.
Lakers Pushed to Trade for Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins entered the league as one of the most hyped prospects of his generation, getting selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. He didn’t even take the court for them before he got traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, though, which is where he spent the first five-and-a-half seasons of his career.
During his time in the league, Wiggins has been a solid player, but he hasn’t managed to hit the expectations that come with being the No. 1 overall pick. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2015 and was an All-Star during the 2021-22 season with the Golden State Warriors, but he doesn’t have many other individual accolades to show for. He did, however, play a big role in helping the Warriors win the 2022 NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics.
Last year, Wiggins was traded to the Heat as part of the Jimmy Butler deal, but Miami has never seemed fully invested in him. Wiggins has been on the trade block throughout the offseason, but a move has not materialized yet. There still is time for a deal to go down, though, and Cem Yolbulan of LA Sports Hub believes that the Lakers should go out and acquire Wiggins.
“Wiggins would immediately become the best perimeter defender for the Lakers, taking on the tough defensive assignments night in and night out,” Yolbulan wrote. “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.”
Should the Lakers Trade for Andrew Wiggins?
GettyAndrew Wiggins #22 of the Miami Heat interacts with fans after defeating the Chicago Bulls during the NBA Play-In Tournament.
While he hasn’t necessarily lived up to the massive expectations on his shoulders in the NBA, Wiggins is still a very good two-way forward who could very well be the missing piece for the Lakers. Having a team built around Doncic means that the rest of the lineup needs to be strong defensively, and Wiggins could slide into the starting lineup and immediately take on the opposing team’s best offensive player.
Wiggins dominated in the 2022 NBA Finals for the Warriors by locking up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown throughout the series. And after averaging 18 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, he still adds something on the offensive side of the ball, too. Acquiring Wiggins may not cost as much as other big-name trade targets, so if Miami does want to move on from him, Los Angeles could end up being the perfect landing spot.
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