The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to former Golden State Warriors champion Andrew Wiggins plenty of times over the past few years, but getting a deal done might not be as simple as it seems.
Dan Woike of The Athletic recently proposed a deal that would help the Lakers land him, and while it'd be a decent amount to give up, if the Lakers truly believe they're just a decent wing away from winning the NBA Finals, it might not be the worst idea to consider.
Lakers receive: Andrew Wiggins
Miami Heat receive: Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick
Wiggins would give the Lakers an athletic wing defender with playoff experience. If there's one thing the Lakers are currently lacking, it's that.
“If we’re speaking in a technical sense, the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick is probably their most valuable trade asset. However, trading that pick would lock the team’s ability to trade the 2031 pick now and the 2033 pick this summer. So, yeah, the 2032 pick probably isn’t going anywhere. With Wiggins, I don’t know if he’s really available or if he’s worth it at this price point. Again, would adding Wiggins make the Lakers so much better that they’d decide to ignore their plans?”
As he touched on, trading pics right now might not be the best idea for the Lakers. With Luka Doncic being the star of this team, and LeBron James likely retiring in a year or two, the Lakers want to remain flexible.
Trading a valuable pick likely won't help them get there.
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