The Miami Heat could gift LeBron James one more huge favor before he retires from the league by trading Andrew Wiggins to the Los Angeles Lakers. Such a move would give LeBron another great shot at winning one last NBA Championship before he calls it a career.
The Lakers have been linked to Wiggins since the offseason, and it's been recently reported that they're still keeping tabs on the former All-Star wing. If the Heat get to a point where they'd be open to trading Wiggins, the Lakers would likely be near the top of his potential landing spots.
"We’ve heard for some time now that the Lakers know they need some improvements on the wing. Andrew Wiggins has been a name that they are monitoring if Miami were to make him available."Jake Fischer on LA's interst in Wiggins
This is the same tone that we heard all throughout the offseason. The Heat has never given the indication that they're moving toward the point of trading Wiggins, but because of his contract, it's a natural possibility leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline.
Andrew Wiggins' unknown future with the Heat
Wiggins could opt out of the final year of his contract after this season and test free agency if he wants. Knowing that, the Heat are certainly taking a gamble if they don't either trade him before the deadline or sign him to an extension before he can hit free agency.
The Lakers, like perhaps a few other teams across the league, are banking on the Heat getting to a point where they'd listen to trade offers for Wiggins. But with the way the Heat is playing through the first month of the season, that's far from a guarantee.
In what was expected to be a "gap" year for the Heat, there's reason to believe that the front office may be thinking far beyond that.
Miami is 11-6 through the first 17 games of the season, and Tyler Herro has yet to play a minute for the team. There's reason to believe that this team's ceiling is much higher than many expected it to be before the start of the season.
Still, even if everything falls right for the Heat this year, it's hard to imagine they're going to be competing for a title in the Eastern Conference. And that's ultimately why the team may have to make a difficult decision regarding Wiggins' future.
If the Heat does get to a point where they're open to trading Wiggins, the Lakers could present a natural landing spot. It's not just one possibility that would benefit an aging great and an old friend like LeBron, but also one that could push the Heat one step closer to their ultimate goal of building a championship roster.
And that's especially true if they can pry a future first-round pick away from the Lakers in exchange for Wiggins.