Compensation For Lakers’ Andrew Wiggins Pursuit Revealed

The Lakers' trade activity have gathered pace after signing Deandre Ayton for their starting center role, also eyeing Andrew Wiggins in the process.

Compensation For Lakers’ Andrew Wiggins Pursuit Revealed

Andrew Wiggins (Image By FirstSportz)

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The Los Angeles Lakers’ activity in the NBA 2025 Free Agency trade market seems to have gathered pace lately. Their wait for a starting center was finally over when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Lakers have signed Deandre Ayton after the Portland Trailblazers bought him out. Now, the Miami Heat’s Andrew Wiggins is on the Lakers’ radar.

Anthony Irwin claims that the Lakers and Heat have discussed a possible trade including the forwards Wiggins and Rui Hachimura. But with Miami’s exorbitant demand for the Canadian forward, Jovan Buha has stated that this transaction isn’t feasible. Per the Lakers insider, the Heat are reportedly seeking a first-round pick, Dalton Knecht, and Hachimura from the Lakers in trade talks centered around Wiggins

Wiggins, who was traded to the Heat in the middle of the season from the Golden State Warriors, had a strong season with averages of 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, shooting 37.4% from three-point range and 44.8% from the field. He would be a perfect addition to the Lakers’ side ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins (Credits: MARCA)

Wiggins’ future is still up in the air as trade negotiations heat up. Although his trade value is complicated by his high contract and poor performance, teams like the Heat and Lakers are showing interest, suggesting that there may yet be chances for him to turn his career around.

However, the Lakers will surely be keeping an eye on this deal despite the Heat’s huge demand. Mostly because the possibility of teaming up the likes of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, along with Wiggins at the center on the court would be the ideal plan going into the new season, something that the Lakers were missing all year.

NBA insider changes stance on the LeBron James-Lakers trade news

One analyst now believes that the door is starting to open for LeBron James to eventually leave Hollywood, despite the initial belief held by many that the Los Angeles Lakers would never trade the star forward. On the recent segment of the ESPN Show, Brian Windhorst made sure to correct his previous statements regarding the LeBron James-Lakers trade matter.

I would have said four days ago when LeBron opted into his contract, I would have said there was no chance of him getting traded. At the time, I just didn’t think so. After having conversations over the last three or four days, I’m no longer saying there is no chance. I am not saying it’s likely, but I cannot responsibly say there’s no chance anymore.

Brian Windhorst said

The Lakers fans will be hoping these remarks are just rumours and James stays in Los Angeles till the end of his career. It would be extremely surprising if James and the Lakers split up before his illustrious career comes to a close, but he could need to depart Los Angeles to win his fifth NBA championship before retiring.

NBA reporter constructs an interesting Luka Doncic-Nikola Jokic future combination for Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be aiming for the 2027 offseason as the summer when they can make a huge leap to truly elevate the Luka Doncic-led, LeBron James-era of Los Angeles basketball. Now, as per Bleacher Report’s Eric Pinus, the Lakers could target one superstar to make a deadly combination on their roster for years to come: Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

After the 2026–2027 season, Jokic has the option to opt out of his contract, so be careful. The underlying idea is that Denver would likely try to move Jokic first to recover some kind of value for their superstar if they believe he is about to opt out. And if that occurs, the Lakers’ main selling point is Luka Doncic.

The hope is that Jokic’s bond with Doncic is why he picks the Lakers. Denver would get most of what the Lakers have in terms of young players and draft compensation.

Eric Pinus wrote

No matter who surrounds them, a Doncic-Jokic core is an immediate contender for the championship.
In an attempt to keep Jokic pleased, Pincus also suggests that the Nuggets try to trade for Doncic. All said and done, the idea of pairing Doncic and Jokic together on any side would send chills down the spine of any NBA opponent.

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