Andrew Wiggins was the name persistently being tossed around in connection to the Los Angeles Lakers throughout the 2025 offseason. If that is still a player who the front office views as a potential boost to a championship push, Rob Pelinka will need to compete against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jovan Buha reported in the earlier parts of the 2025 offseason that an eye-popping trade demand from Pat Riley had the Lakers and Miami Heat unable to reach a deal. Marc Stein returned to the idea of Wiggins in Los Angeles later in the summer, with Dan Woike there to support the rumor.
The Bucks, like the Lakers, have been kicking the tires on a potential Wiggins trade for a considerable amount of time too. If Jake Fischer is to be believed, it stretches back to a time before Los Angeles even came into the picture. The NBA insider discussed the matter in his latest rumor mill round-up.
Fischer wrote, "Other players Milwaukee has displayed some interest in previously ... include Miami's Andrew Wiggins and New Orleans' Dejounte Murray. ... Milwaukee regularly called about Wiggins during his tenure in Golden State, league sources say."
Bucks desperation heave could complicate Lakers' trade deadline path
Why would the Bucks want in on a potential sweepstakes involving Wiggins? That would be to entice Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay in Milwaukee, of course.
Bucks insider Eric Nehm suggested without an official trade request on the table, Milwaukee is looking to exhaust all options in trying to get their franchise superstar to commit long-term. The hope would be to sell a strong future with the only NBA team he's ever suited up for — thus far.
Fischer echoed a similar message. The NBA insider wrote that Milwaukee is shifting towards being buyers ahead of the trade deadline.
Fischer added, "One rival general manager I spoke to went so far as to say that the Bucks have convinced him that 'they're going big-game hunting."
Considering their lackluster asset pool, one that is even worse than what the Lakers have to work with, their version of that reportedly includes the likes of Wiggins, Murray, Zach LaVine, Jerami Grant, and even Marcus Smart. This may not prove to be a situation in which the effort is what truly counts.
For the Lakers, the presence of the Bucks is in all likelihood an inconvenience — at best. The real obstacle for Los Angeles' pursuit would be Miami budging on Wiggins' availability and price in the first place.