Lakers Trade Pitch Lands Ex-All Star And NBA Champion

The Los Angeles Lakers did a lot to address their defensive woes this offseason with the additions of Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart. Yet, many analysts believe the Lakers need stronger perimeter defense to cover for the lapses of weaker defenders like Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic to compete with the powerhouses in the Western Conference.

One veteran 3-and-D wing who could help the Lakers instantly is Andrew Wiggins, who played a vital role in helping the Golden State Warriors capture the 2022 NBA title.

Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Kruger proposed a Lakers trade that would see Los Angeles send the Miami Heat a strong haul of players and draft assets.

Lakers would receive: Andrew Wiggins

Heat would receive: Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, two first-round picks (protected)

How the Trade Helps Lakers

Kruger argued that Wiggins, a former No. 1 overall pick, would fit seamlessly next to Doncic and LeBron James, as he has prior experience playing with superstars.

“He is a proven NBA champion and can help the Lakers immensely on both sides of the ball,” he wrote. “He has already shown he can play second fiddle to a superstar and showed Luka himself just how formidable he can be on the defensive end.”

The writer justified the high price tag by listing out Wiggins’ career accomplishments and his experience of playing in high-profile games.

“He can guard the other team’s best player while also being the third featured scorer in the Lakers’ offense,” argued Kruger.

“This would be the ideal role for Wiggins. He shines when he isn’t given too much offensive responsibility. The Lakers could provide the perfect situation for him to shine and help contribute to another championship run.”

Lakers Checked About Wiggins

At the start of the NBA offseason, the Lakers were earmarked as one of the trade suitors for Wiggins, especially when the Heat were involved in talks with the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant. However, those talks fell apart as the Lakers turned their attention to Ayton and Smart.

According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike and The Ringer’s Zach Lowe, the Lakers initially had interest in Wiggins, but pivoted to other players when the Heat entered the Durant sweepstakes.

“The Lakers have, I guess, sniffed around Wiggins,” Lowe said on his podcast on July 14.

“They’re not interested in Andrew Wiggins,” Woike responded. “I think I can put that to bed. I’m pretty confident on that front.”

Wiggins averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks across 60 games for the Warriors and Heat last season. The veteran forward was moved to the Heat ahead of the February deadline as part of the Jimmy Butler III trade, ending his six-year stint with the Bay Area franchise. During his six years in Golden State, Wiggins averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 46/38/70 shooting splits.

Most impressively, Wiggins improved as a three-point shooter during his stint in Golden State, as he made 1.9 threes per game at a good clip of 38%. He was viewed as a subpar shooter during his earlier stint in Minnesota, where he shot 33% from deep.