The Los Angeles Lakers had high hopes for the 2025-26 trade season.
An established wing who could be impactful on both ends of the floor was viewed as a must for the seven-time NBA champions. Former Golden State Warriors NBA champion forward Andrew Wiggins was among the Lakers’ trade targets. In the end, Los Angeles acquired three-point sniper Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks.
Considering Kennard is only effective on one end of the floor, it’s safe to say the Lakers would be open to adding a contributor like Wiggins in the offseason. Shortly after the Feb. 5 trade deadline, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that landing Wiggins this summer is a possibility for the storied organization.
“An unrestricted free agent who has been discussed internally, sources told ESPN, is Andrew Wiggins, but he has a player option with Miami he could exercise,” McMenamin stated Tuesday.
The Warriors’ decision to trade Wiggins to the Heat last February isn’t looking great. With Jimmy Butler suffering a season-ending ACL injury and Jonathan Kuminga getting off to a rough start to the year, Wiggins could have stepped up to the plate and played high-level complementary basketball alongside Stephen Curry on the perimeter.
After all, the Kansas product played well toward the end of his Warriors tenure, averaging 17.6 points per game while shooting 44.4% from the field and 37.9% from beyond the arc in his last 43 games with the franchise.
The Lakers could use a battle-tested three-and-D wing like Wiggins to strengthen their perimeter shooting and defense in 2026-27 and beyond. If the former No. 1 overall pick becomes available, Los Angeles shouldn’t hesitate to pursue him on the free agent market this summer.
Simply put, McMenamin provided the Lakers with another reason to be excited about the offseason.
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