Heading into NBA Draft night, the ground for NBA trades is fertile. Whether or not the Miami Heat will factor into that at all remains to be seen, but if they do, Andrew Wiggins is one name to keep a close eye on. And if the recent reporting is any indication, the Los Angeles Lakers may have just emerged as a somewhat of a surprise suitor for the versatile wing.
According to Lakers reporter Anthony Irwin, Los Angeles checked in on Wiggins. It's not known to what extent the talks went, or even if they're still active, but the Lakers, at the very least, inquired about the asking price.
As Los Angeles heads into an offseason with the need to upgrade their roster, Wiggins could very much emerge as an intriguing option. He may not be the defender he was earlier in his career, but his versatility on that end of the floor could be a welcome sight for Los Angeles. Playing next to Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Wiggins should fit in well on the offensive end as well.
Wiggins is an interesting asset for the Heat. He's 30 years old and has two years left on his contract, with a player option for that final year. He's a solid NBA player, but nowhere near the star presence the Heat desires. On a championship-contending team, though, he could make all the difference.
On a middling team like the Heat, the unfortunate truth is that he doesn't pose much value. That's part of what makes his trade value a huge mystery.
How aggressive will the Heat be in their trade talks of Andrew Wiggins
For the right team, there's reason to believe that Wiggins could be a desired commodity. Whether the right team will step forward or not is an entirely different question. Maybe that team could be the Lakers; maybe they're simply doing their due diligence ahead of the NBA Draft.
Either way, whether Wiggins gets traded or not on draft night could come down to how aggressive the Heat will be in pursuing a deal for him. There's certainly smoke surrounding the idea. In theory, Wiggins' contract could be utilized in one of two ways for Miami.
That will ultimately be decided by what the path forward is for this franchise. If the Heat are looking to tear down their roster further in an attempt to gain more flexibility heading into the summer of 2026, trading Wiggins (because of that player option for 2026-27) should be a big priority for them. If the Heat is looking to score a star player via trade, Wiggins, because of his contract, will almost certainly be involved one way or another as well.
No matter what the future holds for the Heat, it's unlikely that Wiggins is going to play much of a big-picture role. And if the recent reporting is any indication, there's a good chance his tenure with the team ends in the next few days.