Lakers Shouldn't Trade Draft Pick for Andrew Wiggins Amid NBA Rumors
There is a sense of urgency around the Los Angeles Lakers organization that has, and will continue to, ensure they are linked to different trade pieces entering and throughout the 2025-26 NBA season.
One such a piece is Andrew Wiggins, the 30-year-old forward from the Miami Heat who can play both sides of the ball. He is both the most obvious name and one that has been mentioned in the same breath as the Lakers for the last two months amid championship expectations.
The Lakers, though, have limited assets.
Dan Woike told The Athletic's NBA Daily that Dalton Knecht's value is currently too low and that the former Tennessee Volunteer and the Lakes would have to work on rebuilding it.
The team does have an unprotected 2031 first-round draft pick, he reported, that would be a great value, but they have "bigger plans for the future" with that particular asset and would not be inclined to use it in a deal for Wiggins.
Nor should they.
While the team is built to win now, hence the earthshaking trade for Luka Dončić last season, it also recognizes that LeBron James is not long for the NBA. He is playing on a one-year deal, committing nothing to the long-term as he undergoes his annual decision to play again or retire.
With that said, Dončić is still relatively young, with plenty of years ahead of him and the organization wants to make sure that the superstar has the pieces around him to succeed well after James takes his final bow.
To do so, draft picks will be key. Whether it is actually selecting an intriguing prospect out of college or packaging that pick for a player who the team can pair with Dončić to make a run at the title, that 2031 pick is far too valuable to let get away in hopes that Wiggins can come in, mesh well with the existing megastars, and make a legit run at the NBA title in an increasingly jam-packed Western Conference.
Yes, Wiggins is unquestionably talented and coming off a 2024-25 season that saw him average 18 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and shoot 44.8 from the paint. He would fit right in with what the Lakers want to do. He is also in his 11th season in the league.
For a team that has to walk the tricky line of winning now but also planning for a day without its face and best player, using a pick that valuable on someone that deep into their career, with no guarantee they will still be playing five years from now, is a move the organization simply cannot and should not make.
No matter how badly it wants to win now.
