According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in trading for Andrew Wiggins of the Miami Heat. However, considering Wiggins will make over $28 million this upcoming season, that would be a big mistake, as the Lakers should focus on addressing their depth rather than splashing on an expensive starter. It would put even more pressure on Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Wiggins is the exact type of player that the Lakers need—a 3-and-D forward to replace Dorian Finney-Smith in the starting lineup. He would even be an upgrade at that spot. But with how unproven the Lakers’ depth is, they should try to trade their big contracts for multiple players rather than consolidating them all into one.
At that point, they would just run into the same problem they did last postseason: Having to play the starters too many minutes. With Doncic and James leading the way, depth should be of the utmost priority.
Why should Lakers avoid Andrew Wiggins trade?
Without trading Rui Hachimura, which the Lakers should avoid, LA would have to ship out Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Maxi Kleber just to match Wiggins’ salary in a deal.
But rather than spending over $30 million on one player, LA should be looking to add multiple guys who can play real minutes for them. Enduring a thin rotation for another year would not only put extra strain on Doncic and James, but it could come back to bite the Lakers in the playoffs yet again.
At that point, however, the question would become different: Who should the Lakers trade for instead of Wiggins?
One team that could make an intriguing trade partner is the Utah Jazz. They have Kyle Anderson and Georges Niang, both of whom make less than $10 million. Plus, if LA were willing to throw in draft capital, they could target Walker Kessler, too. Adding any two of those players would provide crucial depth for LA.
If the Lakers wait a little while for his aggregation restriction to go away, adding Haywood Highsmith and another player in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets would be perfect. If they wanted to take a big swing, Nicolas Claxton would be perfect, and if not, they could go after someone like Terance Mann.
Even the Chicago Bulls could make an intriguing trade partner, as players like Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Nikola Vucevic, and Jalen Smith could potentially be available to trade in the right deal.
The point is, for as well as Wiggins would fit in LA, getting two or three quality players instead of one starter would be the much smarter move for the Lakers if they do decide to make a big swing trade.