Although the bulk of the Miami Heat's offseason moves are over with, what happens with Andrew Wiggins remains one of the pressing questions headed into next season. The Heat has told media members that they plan on keeping Wiggins, but his name continues to generate interest around the league.
"I do think an Andrew Wiggins trade would immediately make the Lakers a top-tier contender. He would immediately address their athleticism and defense needs," Jason Timpf, host of The Volume's Hoops Tonight, said. "He specifically, in my opinion, is one of like top-10 apex defenders that you can put on an opposing star in a playoff series, and he can do it against multiple different types of stars."
A Wiggins trade is THE path to contention for the Lakers pic.twitter.com/xVEU8Di8h9
— Hoops Tonight (@hoopstonite) August 8, 2025
"I also think he just makes a substantial upgrade in athleticism, which is what they would need," Timpf continued. "I also think he would play really well offensively off of Luka, and I think the Lakers could pull off that trade, including Dalton [Knecht] and maybe some second-round compensation and not having to include their first round pick."
Wiggins, 30, is under contract through 2026-2027, but has a player option on the last season of the deal. This is important because both the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers are teams that are reportedly looking to keep their books as clear as possible to maximize their flexibility in the next couple of offseasons.
There were rumors earlier this offseason about the Heat and Lakers' trade discussions centered around Wiggins featured some disagreements about whether or not to involve a Lakers first round pick alongside the necessary matching salary. The Lakers have one that they can trade, as well as several first round pick swaps, a second round pick and a second round pick swap.
If the Lakers wanted to put together a package that didn't include a first-rounder, they could offer Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber and Dalton Knecht, along with a second round pick and a second round pick swap, in exchange for Wiggins and Haywood Highsmith. That deal could also work without Knecht and Highsmith involved. In order to smooth things over, the Lakers could theoretically offer a pick swap or two, or even the first rounder, but with lottery protections on it.
"But the Lakers seem uninterested in making that type of deal because of Andrew's age and because of their timeline," Timpf said. "Without Wiggins, if we take him out of the equation, I don't see a move this summer that's readily available right now that the Lakers could make that would immediately vault them up in terms of their athleticism and their ability to contend for a title this season. I don't see it right now."
In 21 games with the Heat (including Playoffs), Wiggins averaged 17.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists, converting on 44.6 percent of his field goals and 35.6 percent of his threes. However, in the regular season games he played, the Heat posted a significantly worse offensive and defensive rating when he was on the court compared to when he wasn't. Wiggins dealt with multiple different lower-body injuries during his stint with the Heat.
-1753344981-q80.webp "Jaxson Dart Takes Early Lead in Key Giants QB Battle")
