When LeBron James made the decision in 2014 to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Andrew Wiggins was put in a tough spot. The Canadian had to field questions about whether the Cavaliers, and by extension James, wanted him on the team. The 2025 offseason could be a full circle moment.
The answer to that question ultimately proved to be 'no.' Wiggins was traded from the Cavaliers to the Minnesota Timberwolves before playing a single game for the team that drafted him. James got a new trio of himself, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love, in the process.
Over a decade later, LeBron is searching for one last championship in his legendary career alongside his new superstar running mate, Luka Doncic. The player Wiggins has become during his career has positioned him to serve as an excellent complement to boost the Los Angeles Lakers' title hopes.
Wiggins' two-way impact improves forward fit around Doncic and LeBron
The fit of Rui Hachimura alongside Doncic and James has quickly come under scrutiny after a premature first-round exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves. This has led many to believe the Lakers are better off trading the starting forward.
If that is indeed the route that Los Angeles wants to take, pairing Hachimura with another expiring contract can easily add up to the salary needed to acquire Wiggins. The Miami Heat forward is set to make $28.2 million in the 2025-26 season.
Wiggins arrived at South Beach this past season after the Golden State Warriors used him as a part of the trade package that landed them Jimmy Butler. Those interested in seeing the former All-Star back in California will hope that Wiggins has not bought property in Florida just yet.
The Warriors allowed the former Rooke of the Year to finally tap into his athletic upside on the defensive end, molding him into a capable two-way forward. That helped Wiggins become a key component of the team that went onto win the 2022 NBA Finals.
The idea of bringing Wiggins to Los Angeles was something floated on Jovan Buha's recent Q&A session on an episode of Buha's Block. The Lakers insider was similarly a fan of the idea.
"Among the realistic options, he is someone that would check a lot of boxes," Buha stated. "It's no shade at Rui, ... a guy like Wiggins, or someone of that ilk, could come in and plug some of those holes as a more natural wing defender."
On top of that, there would be an opportunity for the 11-year veteran to get some prety easy looks from distance next to Doncic and LeBron. Wiggins is a career 35.6 percent shooter from distance.
Those numbers look even better when assessing his averages from the start of his first full season with the Warriors in 2020-21 until now. The 3-point percentage jumps up to 38.1 percent in that case.
If Rob Pelinka wants someone in the starting lineup who fits better with his two superstars than Hachimura, there are far worse options than Wiggins out there. The Heat just need to be sold on moving on from their recent acquisition.
