Despite the Los Angeles Lakers‘ desire to add a two-way wing, Andrew Wiggins isn’t their target, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
“They’re not interested in Andrew Wiggins. I think I can put that to bed,” Woike explicitly said on “The Zach Lowe Show” podcast on July 14.
On June 25, Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints reported that the Heat were interested in Rui Hachimura, who is on an expiring contract, in a potential deal involving Wiggins.
“After reporting the Lakers checked in with the Heat about Wiggins’ price, sources tell ClutchPoints that trade talks have advanced to the next step, though nothing is considered imminent as of right now,” Irwin wrote.
However, the Lakers balked at the Heat’s asking price.
According to Jovan Buha of the “Buha’s Block” podcast, the Heat have a steep asking price for the 30-year-old Wiggins.
“I don’t know if Gabe [Vincent], [Maxi Kleber], Shake [Milton] & a first [round pick] gets you Andrew Wiggins,” Buha said, replying to a question from a fan of his podcast on his hypothetical trade for the Heat forward. “I’ve reported/shared what I’ve heard, which is that [Miami] has been asking for a first & Dalton [Knecht], which is an overpay for Wiggins. I think they also want Rui Hachimura, too, because they want to remain competitive. Obviously, Rui is a better player than Gabe or Maxi. Miami’s asking price has to drop, as I’ve said before.”
Lakers Expected to Make a Trade
It turns out the Lakers were not interested after all.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported that Wiggins will remain with the Heat.
“During an interview at summer league practice in Vegas, Erik Spoelstra says Andrew Wiggins is already back in South Florida and views him as an important piece of the Heat’s rotation next season,” Chiang reported on X on July 12.
“The expectation is the Heat will move forward with Andrew Wiggins on its roster for the start of next season. The Heat wants to see what this mix will look like.”
Despite the Lakers showing no interest in Wiggins, it does not mean they are done tinkering with their roster.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Lakers still have one move they are expected to make.
“They’re actively looking for a new defensive player on the perimeter/wing. I’d expect them to make a trade for one by the end of the month,” Siegel wrote on X.
So far, the Lakers have made two key moves.
After the 32-year-old Dorian Finney-Smith bolted for the Houston Rockets, the Lakers pivoted to unproven 23-year-old wing Jake LaRavia. They also took a flier on Deandre Ayton to fill their starting center role after the former No. 1 pick reached a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Lakers still have their draft capital (2031 of 2032 first-round pick) along with up to four pick swaps and nearly $55 million of expiring salaries to use in any trade.
Bronny James Shows Promise in NBA Summer League
If the Lakers stay put, they are going to need Bronny James to make a leap and become a rotation player.
The second-year guard continues to show signs of improvement from his rookie season.
Bronny, the son of LeBron James, just had his best game in the NBA Summer League in a 67-58 Lakers’ loss to the Clippers on July 14.
Bronny tallied a team-high 17 points, five rebounds and five assists in just 24 minutes. He shot an impressive 60% from the field and was a team-high plus-5 on the +/- column.
Aside from his best offensive game, Bronny also showed tremendous improvement on the defensive end. He helped hold No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg to 5-of-21 shooting from the field during their first meeting on July 10.
