Andrew Wiggins to the Los Angeles Lakers?
A recent mock trade theorized a logical framework to send Wiggins to the Lakers from the Miami Heat.
Lakers swap trio for Andrew Wiggins in mock deal
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus formulated a three-team framework where the Lakers surrender a wealth of talent to form a contending front:
The Lakers would get Miami’s Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., in addition to Brooklyn’s Drew Timme. The Heat would trade for Los Angeles’ Rui Hachimura as well as Dalton Knecht, while getting a $10 million trade exception.
As for the Nets, they’d add Los Angeles’ Maxi Kleber along with a 2026 protected Brooklyn second-rounder from Miami.
Andrew Wiggins, lakers
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How Wiggins would make Los Angeles better
Wiggins has proven himself to be a No. 2 option on a championship team from his title with the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
The former No. 1 overall pick also began to reclaim his scoring might after getting traded to Miami last season. He averaged 19 points along with 3.3 assists.
Given Wiggins’ history as a legitimate 20-plus point per game scorer, the Canadian former All-Star would form one of the greatest offensive big threes in league history next to the LeBron James-Luka Doncic duo.
Would Lakers be losing too much in Wiggins trade?
However, the downsides to this deal are glaring. James, as well as Doncic, both need elite outside shooters around them to maximize their team’s offense. Kleber is one of the most prolific shooters at center, while Knecht is Los Angeles’ treasured young talent. Wiggins, meanwhile, is not known for his trifectas.
NBA: Playoffs-Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers
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In addition, Los Angeles’ two leaders dominate the ball. Their time of possession would likely conflict with Wiggins, who also needs the ball to score often.
The Lakers would also need to ask themselves if Hachimura, 27, could give them what a 197-pound forward could as a No. 3 or No. 4 option, which is around 18 points per game. The former averaged 13.1 PPG on 9.8 field goal attempts every game last season. With four more attempts, his efficiency proves he could.
Thus, Los Angeles would be better off keeping one of the two shooters they’d be trading away in this mock deal. Nevertheless, Wiggins would make Los Angeles a better team.