Everyone knows the Los Angeles Lakers will have money to play around with in the upcoming 2026 offseason. Andrew Wiggins just made his case as to why the potential unrestricted free agent should be one of the first calls that Rob Pelinka makes when that portion of the summer arrives.
The Miami Heat's season ended on the sour note that Lakers fans would have quietly hoped for. Miami dropped a tight 127-126 loss to the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night. Despite the Heat's shortcomings, Wiggins had himself a great individual game.
After Bam Adebayo went down with an injury for Miami, the Heat needed other players to step up and fill the scoring void to keep up with a high-powered Hornets team. One of the sources of added offensive firepower ended up coming from Wiggins' direction.
The Heat forward finished with 27 points, shooting 10-of-18 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. For any Lakers front office personnel watching, it was a strong final visual of him as a player for the 2025-26 season. That type of performance may just be enough to invite Wiggins betting on himself in free agency.
Andrew Wiggins set himself up for potential offseason payday in Los Angeles
Wiggins has been connected to the Lakers dating back to last offseason. Pelinka and Pat Riley reportedly could not come to terms on a deal ahead of the 2025-26 campaign due to the Heat's high asking price for their athletic forward.
Wiggins now firmly controls his own destiny.
The 31-year-old forward has a $30.2 million player option for 2026-27. Why turn down that kind of guaranteed money? Well, long-term security, of course.
Sure, Wiggins can accept the option and guarantee himself $30.2 million. Potential free agent suitors, including the Lakers, are unlikely to match that annual salary on a yearly basis. However, there may be an opportunity for more money in the long run by testing the waters.
Players capable of serving that 3-and-D archetype are invaluable in the NBA. In particular, the Lakers have been openly hunting those additions since the pivot to a future built around Luka Doncic.
Wiggins just shot 41.4 percent from beyond the arc in 68 games with the Heat this season. The veteran forward also posted 1.1 steals and 1.0 block per game, continuing to capitalize on his athleticism on the defensive end.
At his current age, this may be the last real opportunity for Wiggins to secure a multi-year payday during his career. In a free agency class that is far from abundant in attractive unrestricted options, the former first overall pick would have a fair crack at that money.
Wiggins is far from the perfect option for the Lakers to use their cap space, but there will be undeniable appeal in not sacrificing assets to get an upgraded fit on the wings. If the Canadian hooper is rocking purple and gold next season, no one should be tremendously surprised.
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