For the last week, the talk of the NBA World has centered around the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat in a blockbuster trade rumor involving Andrew Wiggins.
It is no secret that the Lakers are interested in adding Wiggins to their lineup, and the Heat’s roster is somewhat in purgatory, being a playoff team but not a true championship contender.
Just two days ago, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that the Heat are not interested in trading Wiggins.
“The Heat are not discussing an Andrew Wiggins trade with the Lakers, and they are not interested in trading him at the moment,” reported Siegel.
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On Friday, Siegel provided a bit more insight and context on the situation, and a snippet infers that a deal happening is not completely dead.
“The Los Angeles Lakers have held extensive trade conversations with the Heat about the former first-overall pick this offseason,” league sources told Siegel. “After engaging in talks for Wiggins before NBA Summer League in July, Lakers executive Rob Pelinka has since tried to reignite conversations with Riley and the Heat.”
Siegel doubled down on his reporting from two days ago, stating, “At this time, Miami holds no desire to trade Wiggins before the 2025-26 season, and they are operating under the mindset of evaluating his production before the trade deadline. The Heat has held a high asking price for Wiggins, one that the Lakers haven’t been willing to meet.”
Based on this reporting, a deal taking place before the season begins is very unlikely, but there will be plenty of time to strike something before the NBA Trade Deadline, and that might actually play in the Lakers’ favor.
Lakers Waiting Till The NBA Trade Deadline May Be Beneficial
At the moment, the asking price for Andrew Wiggins may be the highest it will ever be. He was the fixture of the trade at last year’s deadline that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors.
Since joining the Heat, he averaged 19.0 points and 4.2 rebounds over the course of 17 games. His two-way style of play fits perfectly with what the Heat and head coach Eric Spoelstra want to do. They have a vision for what he can accomplish with them, and so it will take an astronomical package to pry him away.
A package that the Lakers have not felt comfortable with up to this point.
Now, if Wiggins meets those expectations, then the Heat will put any rumors to bed and retain him for a playoff push. But if he falters at all, or slumps in any way, then the Heat may be much more willing to deal him, and guess what, the asking price will drop significantly, allowing the Lakers to swoop in and bring him to LA below the original summer asking price.
This is all hypothetical, of course, but keeping the phone lines open, while not caving to a massive asking price, is the play that Pelinka and the Lakers should lean into.
Wiggins owns a $30.16 million player option in the 2026-27 season. This makes him essentially a rental if he is not acquired until the trade deadline, or gives the potential of a sign-and-trade.
There are still plenty of possibilities out there to bring Andrew Wiggins to Los Angeles.