Lakers Monitoring Ex-Warriors Champion as Potential Trade...

By Justin Grasso

Contributing Sports Writer

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The Los Angeles Lakers have proven to be one of the stronger squads in the Western Conference this season, despite missing LeBron James throughout the opening stretch.

With James back in the mix, the Lakers anticipate a boost, but that hasn’t stopped them from staying on the hunt for a notable acquisition through the trade market. According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, the Lakers are still eyeing the former Golden State Warriors champion, Andrew Wiggins.

When discussing the Lakers’ desired type of players ahead of the 2026 trade deadline through a live stream on Bleacher Report, Fischer mentioned that the Lakers would like to add a “lob-threat big man” and a “two-way wing.” Wiggins certainly fits the latter description.

Wiggins has spent his career with three different teams. He entered the NBA as the top pick in the 2014 draft out of Kansas. Although he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the LeBron-led squad shipped him off to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

As a young wing making his way through the league, Wiggins thrived as a featured piece in Minnesota. The trade to the Warriors ended up being a major change of scenery for him, though, despite the fact he took a backseat to multiple players, including Steph Curry.

During the 2021-2022 NBA season, Wiggins appeared in 73 games for the Warriors. He made 46 percent of his shots from the field, and drilled 39 percent of his threes. The young veteran averaged 17.2 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game. That year, Wiggins was voted as an All-Star and helped contribute to the Warriors’ title run.

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He would spend three more seasons with the Warriors. Last year, Golden State wrapped up the Wiggins era by trading him to the Miami Heat in a major blockbuster centered around Jimmy Butler. After arriving in Miami, Wiggins averaged 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, while shooting 45 percent from the field.

The Lakers-Wiggins rumors started over the offseason. It wasn’t clear if the Lakers were aggressively pursuing the 30-year-old wing, but he’s been labeled as an LA target for several months at this point. With the NBA season well underway, it seems the Lakers still have Wiggins on their radar, as long as the Heat are willing to make a deal.

So far, Wiggins has appeared in 15 games for the Heat. Seeing the court for 33 minutes per game, he has posted averages of 16.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. Defensively, he is averaging nearly one block and over one steal per game. With the Miami Heat holding a winning record through the first month of action, there doesn’t seem to be a need to cut ties with the 30-year-old veteran just yet. Still, the Lakers will have him on the radar.

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