The Los Angeles Lakers have adopted the correct approach to the summer.
In addition to landing a quality three-point shooting wing in Jake LaRavia, the franchise ensured that Luka Doncic will enter his first full season in Los Angeles with a willing screener and solid ball tracker in Deandre Ayton.
Re-signing Jaxson Hayes to a one-year deal wasn’t a poor idea, either, considering he possesses a similar skill set to Ayton.
Surprisingly, the Lakers are still attempting to provide Doncic and LeBron James with more ammunition this summer.
The organization has been linked to former Golden State Warriors NBA champion forward and No. 1 overall pick, Andrew Wiggins.
Unfortunately, though, Lakers insider Jovan Buha’s latest report on Los Angeles’ chances of landing Wiggins via trade is gut-wrenching, to say the least.
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“I don't know if Wiggins at this point is looking realistic (for the Lakers),” Buha said Monday.
Wiggins, who won a championship with the Warriors in 2022, likely wasn’t expecting to leave the organization midway through the 2024-25 campaign.
The 30-year-old was Golden State’s second-leading scorer to begin the year and was a fan favorite with the Dubs.
That said, with the Warriors struggling to exit mediocrity during the first half of Stephen Curry’s 16th NBA campaign, Mike Dunleavy Jr. didn’t hesitate to make a drastic move before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
In a blockbuster Feb. 5 trade, Dunleavy and the Warriors sent Wiggins to the Miami Heat for six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.
As a member of the Heat, Wiggins averaged 19.0 points per game as a top-3 scoring option for a Miami team that reached the first round of the postseason, shooting 44.8% from the field and 36.0% from deep.
The Kansas product’s proven slashing ability, reputable perimeter shooting, and championship experience would do wonders for the title-craving Lakers.
However, it doesn’t appear to be in the cards for Los Angeles this summer.
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