Andrew Wiggins Trade Would Solidify Lakers as Contenders amid Latest NBA Rumors
After filling their void at center with former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, the next order of 2025 NBA offseason business for the Los Angeles Lakers should be beefing up their perimeter defense.
Few, if any, players on the market would better scratch that itch than Andrew Wiggins, another former No. 1 pick.
The issue with Wiggins, for now, is the reported asking price. Per NBA insider Jovan Buha, the Miami Heat are seeking Dalton Knecht, Rui Hachimura and a first-round draft pick from the Lakers for Wiggins.
That's not quite exorbitant, but it's still probably steeper than L.A. wants to go. The Lakers should try flexing all of their negotiating might in hopes of bringing that price down, even just a little bit.
Regardless where the final cost sits, Wiggins is worth the splurge.
Assuming L.A. is moving forward with the Luka Dončić-Austin Reaves backcourt, it will need to cobble together as much point-of-attack resistance as possible. Wiggins checks all the physical boxes of an all-purpose perimeter stopper.
His matchup list was a who's who of perimeter stars. And despite these nightly tussles with the basketball world's best of the best, he still knocked 1.7 percentage points off their normal field-goal connection rates, per NBA.com.
He is quick enough to keep in front of backcourt speedsters and has the requisite length and strength to hang with big wings. In other words, he's capable of plugging defensive leaks just about anywhere they sprout.
That's a critical skill for a club whose three best players all do their best work on the offensive end.
It takes more than versatile defense to become a critical piece for the Lakers, though. Otherwise, a healthy Jarred Vanderbilt would be a high-mileage role player for this club and not a fringe rotation player.
Two-way contributions are vital, and Wiggins not only makes a difference on offense, he does it in ways that make life easier on stars.
Once a shaky three-point shooter, he's now become a reliable, consistent marksman (38.1 percent three-point shooting on good volume over the past five seasons). If all that's needed from him is spacing from the corner, he can be an asset in that role.
More is usually needed, and he's capable of meeting that demand in myriad ways. He'll crash the offensive glass. He'll motor out in transition. He'll punish distracted defenders with timely off-ball cuts. He'll even create his own shots when he has it rolling or his team's top option does not.
He can't be the best player on a good team, but he's already been a second or third option on a champion.
He has legitimate complete-the-puzzle potential for the Purple and Gold. The Lakers need his defense, obviously, but they also have a general need for better two-way play in their supporting cast.
He provides that at a championship level. And he wouldn't even necessarily get in the way of any future pursuits, since the upcoming season is the final guaranteed year on his pact ($30.2 million player option for 2026-27).
The Lakers can and should push to try reducing the Heat's asking price, but they also can't let Wiggins get away. If they plan on carrying championship dreams into next season, he's the kind of player who just might help make them a reality.
