Heat just gifted Lakers the perfect trade target to topple the Thunder

The Los Angeles Lakers have been handed a golden opportunity to trade for veteran wing Andrew Wiggins. While some are hung up on the fact that he never became a superstar after being drafted at No. 1 overall in 2014, Wiggins has quietly become the exact type of player Los Angeles is missing.

By acquiring Wiggins and positioning him to continue to excel as an elite on-ball defender, the Lakers could make a leap to true contender status.

Wiggins joined the Miami Heat via the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Miami is overachieving in 2025-26, however, and is seemingly exploring its options for either a leap forward or a long-term push toward sustained improvement.

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Heat are willing to move Wiggins if the ideal offer comes along before the 2026 NBA trade deadline.

"Sources insist, however, that Miami is indeed willing to part with Andrew Wiggins (and his $28.2 million salary) in the proverbial right deal."

Trading for Wiggins would be challenging considering he's owed $28,223,215 in 2025-26 and has a $30,169,644 player option for 2026-27. If the Heat are interested in a deal that centers around Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, and draft compensation, however, the Lakers could make a vital upgrade along the wings.

With an elite on-ball defender in Wiggins, the Lakers could finally acquire the value they're missing at the point of attack and make legitimate progress toward winning a title.

Trading for Andrew Wiggins would make Lakers legitimate contenders

Clearly, adding Wiggins wouldn't necessarily give the Lakers a depth chart that can go player-for-player with the Thunder. Oklahoma City is unrivaled in its depth and capable of turning a game from competitive to lopsided in the blink of an eye.

The equalizer in any debate, however, is Luka Doncic—a player who helped knock the Thunder out of the playoffs as recently as 2024.

Much has changed since then, as Doncic has moved from Dallas to Los Angeles, and the Thunder have gained championship experience. Doncic has also been to the NBA Finals, however, and four-time NBA champion and Finals MVP LeBron James will always be a factor in a postseason setting.

The difference between who the Lakers are now and what they'd become with Wiggins is that they'd finally have the isolation defender they simply can't find on their current roster.

Andrew Wiggins is an elite isolation defender and quality shooter

Los Angeles wouldn't need Wiggins to be an All-Star, as he was in 2021-22, or to match his career-best average of 23.6 points per game. It simply needs a defender who excels at the point of attack while simultaneously offering enough value on offense to avoid becoming a net negative.

Wiggins checks those very boxes, particularly in the sense that he's one of the best isolation defenders in the NBA.

With Wiggins in the fold, the Lakers would finally have the on-ball defender they need to round the rotation into form. The quality team defenders on the roster could settle into roles that fit them as Wiggins takes on the task of defending opposing teams' best perimeter scorers.

Los Angeles can also derive confidence from the fact that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot just 4-of-17 from the field against Wiggins in 2024-25.

It's also worth noting that Wiggins has already played the type of role Los Angeles would ask him to on a championship team. He won a ring in 2022 with the Golden State Warriors by emphasizing defense above all else, and stepping up situationally in a supporting role on offense.

Compounded by the fact that he's shooting 37.0 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in 2025-26, the Lakers should give serious consideration to trading for Wiggins if he's indeed available.