The Los Angeles Lakers have a known need for shooting. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a surplus of high-level players, only so many minutes to go around, and second apron penalties that they must either endure or elude. Those factors have made Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins trade candidates whom Los Angeles must keep a close eye on.
Joe and Wiggins are even more likely to be traded in the aftermath of the report that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to endorse Luguentz Dort as a fairly costly returning player for the 2026-27 season.
The Thunder are $28,574,372 over the second apron. There are quick paths to a workaround, as Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Kenrich Williams all have club options for the 2026-27 season. Dort and Hartenstein are starters whom Oklahoma City may be reluctant to part with, however, particularly with their franchise player taking an interest in at least one of them.
According to Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to ask the Thunder to bring Dort back for the 2026-27 season.
"While Gilgeous-Alexander publicly vowed not to provide input to Presti on personnel matters, sources familiar with the superstar's thinking said that he privately intends to emphasize to management how much he values playing alongside Canadian countryman Dort."
Though Gilgeous-Alexander's endorsement of Dort is understandable on its own, Oklahoma City has salary limitations. That's led to Joe and Wiggins emerging as "the most likely candidates" to be traded.
"The most likely candidates to be moved in a trade to rebalance the roster are Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, who have proved to be quality role players but fell out of the rotation during these playoffs."
The Lakers should be eager to kick the tires on a trade for either Joe or Wiggins, as both players are sharpshooting wings on team-friendly contracts.
Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins "most likely" to be traded by OKC this summer
Joe is a six-year veteran who will turn 27 in July and will make $11,323,006 in 2026-27. He has a club option worth an identical amount for the 2027-28 season. As a 6'4" wing who boasts a career three-point field goal percentage of .406, there's unavoidable reason for intrigue.
Joe is a true marksman having shot at least 41.2 percent from beyond the arc in each of the past three seasons. He buried 43.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes in 2025-26.
Wiggins, meanwhile, is a five-year veteran who turned 27 in January. He's owed $9,028,038 in 2026-27, $8,168,226 in 2027-28, and has a matching $8,168,226 club option for 2028-29. He's a career 38.0 percent three-point shooter.
As prime-year players with a proven history of contributing winning minutes and team-friendly contracts, the NBA champion sharpshooters at least deserve consideration.
The Lakers should at least ponder how Joe and Wiggins could help them as the team that ranked dead last in catch-and-shoot three-point field goals made in 2025-26, They should also value the opportunity to acquire team-friendly contracts given the fact that both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will likely be making in excess of $40 million per season starting in 2026-27.
With Doncic publicly noting that he's at his best when he has shooters flanking him, both Joe and Wiggins should be on the Lakers' list of priorities.
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