If recent rumors are any indication, Andrew Wiggins may be entering his final season in a Miami Heat uniform. As trade rumors continue to swirl around Wiggins, with the Los Angeles Lakers once again being named as a potential suitor for him, it does seem as if he'll eventually be traded by the Heat.
As NBA insider Marc Stein notes, it's more likely that the Heat will keep Wiggins on their roster heading into the start of the regular season, but that could change depending on how the season unravels for Miami. If things go south and if the Heat get to a point where they want to shed more salary heading into next summer, the Lakers would emerge as a prime landing spot for the two-way wing.
The Lakers have been linked to Wiggins for a good portion of the offseason. However, at least up to now, there hasn't been any indication that the Heat has a desire to trade Wiggins.
I'm sure the Heat would consider it if the right deal came across the table, but it does sound as if this is going to be more of a possibility the closer we get to the NBA Trade Deadline.
Andrew Wiggins is a name to watch at the NBA Trade Deadline
If the Heat's season does go off the rails by the time February rolls around, that's when we could see a shift in Miami's approach to trade Wiggins. For now, the Heat does seem motivated to give this roster a shot together.
Whether fans agree with that approach or not, it does appear that's the route that's going to be taken.
Honestly, it's hard to blame them, considering they don't believe the duo of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo got a fair shake with the Jimmy Butler drama all last season. Without that dark cloud hovering over the locker room this season, the hope is that this year will go much differently.
Maybe that won't end up being the case in the end, but the Heat's front office has made it quite clear that it wants to give this roster a chance to prove itself. Plus, I'm not sure what the point would be in making a win-now move for Norman Powell, only to make a seller's move to trade Wiggins in a "salary dump."
Could the Heat end up trading Wiggins at the NBA Trade Deadline? Sure. Will they trade him anytime soon? That does seem like a long shot. No matter what ends up happening, though, it'd be a pretty safe assumption that the Lakers are going to keep asking about Wiggins.
On paper, he does seem like a good fit for Los Angeles. But they may have to wait until the trade deadline, or later, to make this dream a potential reality.