LeBron James won’t be the one former No. 1 decide on the Los Angeles Lakers roster for lengthy.
The Lakers have checked in with the Miami Warmth a few potential commerce for veteran ahead Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints reported throughout a YouTube look this week. Irwin notes that the Lakers have requested the Warmth about what the value could be for Wiggins.
Wiggins was the No. 1 general decide within the 2014 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He virtually obtained an opportunity to play with the Lakers star in Cleveland however was promptly traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as a part of the Kevin Love deal earlier than he ever obtained to play in a sport for the Cavs.
Now 30, Wiggins was an NBA champion in addition to an All-Star choice with the Golden State Warriors in 2022. He was then traded to the Warmth as a part of the Jimmy Butler deal in February and averaged 19.0 factors, 4.2 rebounds and three.3 assists per sport with plus protection over his handful of video games for Miami.
Wiggins might be Miami’s most sensible commerce asset as he’s getting into his ultimate assured yr underneath contract subsequent season at $28.2M. He would additionally instantly develop into one other potent scoring menace in addition to a prime perimeter defender for the Lakers (particularly with Dorian Finney-Smith holding a participant possibility for subsequent yr and likewise with Jarred Vanderbilt’s troubling historical past of accidents).
However the issue is that the Lakers won’t have a lot to supply the competing Warmth for Wiggins, particularly assuming that Austin Reaves is off the desk. Some mixture of Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht and a first-rounder in 2031 or 2032 in all probability isn’t engaging Miami at this level. Thus, the Lakers could be higher served attempting so as to add elsewhere on the commerce market (akin to with this lately rumored goal).
