NBA Trade Idea to Land Andrew Wiggins with Los Angeles Lakers

September 11, 2025 at 3:41 pm

From Eric Pincus above article:

The Los Angeles Lakers recently extended Luka Dončić, while hesitating to give LeBron James a similar commitment.

Instead, James opted into his contract for a final year, potentially giving the franchise significant spending power in the summer of 2026.

Several competing executives and agents were given the impression the Lakers had chosen to prioritize cap flexibility over trades that would yield players on multi-year deals. On Monday, Marc Stein noted the plan may have changed.

He wrote: “The Lakers’ reluctance in the early stages of the offseason to consider trades for contracts that stretch beyond the 2025-26 season has thawed somewhat.” Stein identified Andrew Wiggins as a potential target, should Miami make him available.

Given Wiggins’ $28.2 million salary this season (along with a $30.2 million player option for 2026-27), what would be a viable theoretical trade between the Lakers and Heat?

The following is a three-team idea, bringing in the Brooklyn Nets for tax and apron flexibility, sending Wiggins from Miami to Los Angeles.

Full Trade Scenario

Lakers get:

-Andrew Wiggins (from Heat)
-Jaime Jaquez Jr. (from Heat)
-Drew Timme (from Nets)

Heat get:

-Rui Hachimura (from Lakers)
-Dalton Knecht (from Lakers)
-$10 million trade exception (Wiggins)

Nets get:

-Maxi Kleber (from Lakers)
-2026 protected Brooklyn second-rounder (from Heat)
-$4.6 million (from Nets)
-$2 million (from Lakers)

Notes: The Lakers aggregate Hachimura, Knecht, and Kleber to acquire Wiggins and Jaquez, while Brooklyn uses cap room to absorb Kleber’s salary.

Miami gets Knecht via the Jimmy Butler trade exception (leaving a $3.8 million balance), although the team could choose to use its Haywood Highsmith exception instead. Timme, on a minimum contract, remains non-guaranteed on L.A.’s books.

The 2026 second-rounder is a token gesture, with Miami returning the Nets’ pick (which was never likely to convey with top-55 protection).

Why the Los Angeles Lakers Do It

Using Stein’s logic that the Lakers are willing to take on a longer salary, Wiggins only has one year left after this coming season.

If he fits well, he could opt out and re-sign on a lower but longer annual deal. Or Los Angeles could use his expiring contract in a future deal.

From a basketball perspective, the 30-year-old would step in as the team’s best perimeter defender. At 6’7″, he’d fill the role left by the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith.

Hachimura had some success against bigger players such as Nikola Jokić (though not enough for the Lakers to win a series over the Denver Nuggets). Still, he’s not especially mobile enough to stick with attacking guards and wings.

Wiggins averaged 18 points per game last year, splitting time between the Golden State Warriors and the Heat. He shot 37.4 percent from three-point range (on 2.2 attempts) through 60 appearances.

Hachimura played in 59 games for the Lakers, averaging 13.1 points on 41.3 percent from behind the arc (4.2 attempts). The argument would be improved defense from Wiggins, with a small sacrifice in shooting.

Knecht may not have a key rotation role with the team this season, especially after the free-agent signing of Jake LaRavia and draft acquisition of Adou Thiero.

Los Angeles missed out on Jaquez (No. 18) in the 2023 draft to select Jalen Hood-Schifino (No. 17). Jaquez was one of the top rookies that year, while Hood-Schifino is not currently in the league.

Jaquez struggled as a sophomore in Miami, and the Lakers get the chance to see if the UCLA product can revitalize his game alongside stars like James and Dončić.

Timme could fill the last required standard roster spot (14th), or the team could sign a veteran on a minimum contract while staying under its first-apron hard cap at $195.9 million. Kleber and cash make the rest of the deal feasible.

Why the Miami Heat Do It

Miami was able to get under the league’s luxury-tax threshold ($187.9 million) by trading Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets. Still, camp invite Ethan Thompson has the team slightly over that line.

Assuming the Heat cut Thompson before opening night, they will need to wait until mid-December to add a 15th standard contract to avoid the tax.

Per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Miami has been in contact with Precious Achiuwa. Getting out of Wiggins would not only clear $30.1 million from next year’s books but also put the team well under the tax threshold to add Achiuwa.

The Heat would gain flexibility for additional moves at approximately $9.3 million below the tax threshold.

Hachimura, who is on an expiring deal, is eligible for an extension if he proves to be a strong fit. He’s a better shooter than Wiggins, and more of a natural power forward (often playing out of position for the Lakers).

Knecht is also a shooting upgrade over Jaquez. Neither was outstanding last year, but the former has a longer runway on his contract, going into his second season.

The second-round pick is immaterial, and the cash is the vehicle to reroute Kleber to Brooklyn, instead of eating Miami’s immediate tax savings.

Why the Brooklyn Nets Do It

The Nets recently made official deals with Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Ziaire Williams. Their payroll has climbed to $138.8 million for 20 players (including two of the three eligible two-way contracts).

The league minimum for each team this season is $139.2 million, a figure Brooklyn needs to reach by opening night.

Still, the 15-man standard contract limit means the Nets must cut (or trade) at least three players. If that’s Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin, and Drew Timme, the team would only incur about $272,000 in dead money for Johnson’s partially guaranteed deal, dropping the team’s salary to $132.3 million (about $6.9 million short of the minimum required). Martin and Timme are non-guaranteed.

The Nets are required to spend that money before then. The question is how. In this deal, the team goes past that mark with Kleber by about $4.1 million. The Heat and Lakers combine to pay Brooklyn $6.6 million, yielding a $2.5 million profit.

Kleber, 33, wouldn’t make the Nets roster, hitting free agency, perhaps to join a team looking for an experienced veteran later in the season or even heading overseas to continue his career.

It’s a money move for Brooklyn, not a basketball deal. Timme is the only outgoing player, but he’s facing an uphill battle to make the team, given the already full roster.

Comments

LakerTom says

September 11, 2025 at 3:41 pm

From Eric Pincus above article:

The Los Angeles Lakers recently extended Luka Dončić, while hesitating to give LeBron James a similar commitment.

Instead, James opted into his contract for a final year, potentially giving the franchise significant spending power in the summer of 2026.

Several competing executives and agents were given the impression the Lakers had chosen to prioritize cap flexibility over trades that would yield players on multi-year deals. On Monday, Marc Stein noted the plan may have changed.

He wrote: “The Lakers’ reluctance in the early stages of the offseason to consider trades for contracts that stretch beyond the 2025-26 season has thawed somewhat.” Stein identified Andrew Wiggins as a potential target, should Miami make him available.

Given Wiggins’ $28.2 million salary this season (along with a $30.2 million player option for 2026-27), what would be a viable theoretical trade between the Lakers and Heat?

The following is a three-team idea, bringing in the Brooklyn Nets for tax and apron flexibility, sending Wiggins from Miami to Los Angeles.

Full Trade Scenario

Lakers get:

-Andrew Wiggins (from Heat)
-Jaime Jaquez Jr. (from Heat)
-Drew Timme (from Nets)

Heat get:

-Rui Hachimura (from Lakers)
-Dalton Knecht (from Lakers)
-$10 million trade exception (Wiggins)

Nets get:

-Maxi Kleber (from Lakers)
-2026 protected Brooklyn second-rounder (from Heat)
-$4.6 million (from Nets)
-$2 million (from Lakers)

Notes: The Lakers aggregate Hachimura, Knecht, and Kleber to acquire Wiggins and Jaquez, while Brooklyn uses cap room to absorb Kleber’s salary.

Miami gets Knecht via the Jimmy Butler trade exception (leaving a $3.8 million balance), although the team could choose to use its Haywood Highsmith exception instead. Timme, on a minimum contract, remains non-guaranteed on L.A.’s books.

The 2026 second-rounder is a token gesture, with Miami returning the Nets’ pick (which was never likely to convey with top-55 protection).

Why the Los Angeles Lakers Do It

Using Stein’s logic that the Lakers are willing to take on a longer salary, Wiggins only has one year left after this coming season.

If he fits well, he could opt out and re-sign on a lower but longer annual deal. Or Los Angeles could use his expiring contract in a future deal.

From a basketball perspective, the 30-year-old would step in as the team’s best perimeter defender. At 6’7″, he’d fill the role left by the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith.

Hachimura had some success against bigger players such as Nikola Jokić (though not enough for the Lakers to win a series over the Denver Nuggets). Still, he’s not especially mobile enough to stick with attacking guards and wings.

Wiggins averaged 18 points per game last year, splitting time between the Golden State Warriors and the Heat. He shot 37.4 percent from three-point range (on 2.2 attempts) through 60 appearances.

Hachimura played in 59 games for the Lakers, averaging 13.1 points on 41.3 percent from behind the arc (4.2 attempts). The argument would be improved defense from Wiggins, with a small sacrifice in shooting.

Knecht may not have a key rotation role with the team this season, especially after the free-agent signing of Jake LaRavia and draft acquisition of Adou Thiero.

Los Angeles missed out on Jaquez (No. 18) in the 2023 draft to select Jalen Hood-Schifino (No. 17). Jaquez was one of the top rookies that year, while Hood-Schifino is not currently in the league.

Jaquez struggled as a sophomore in Miami, and the Lakers get the chance to see if the UCLA product can revitalize his game alongside stars like James and Dončić.

Timme could fill the last required standard roster spot (14th), or the team could sign a veteran on a minimum contract while staying under its first-apron hard cap at $195.9 million. Kleber and cash make the rest of the deal feasible.

Why the Miami Heat Do It

Miami was able to get under the league’s luxury-tax threshold ($187.9 million) by trading Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets. Still, camp invite Ethan Thompson has the team slightly over that line.

Assuming the Heat cut Thompson before opening night, they will need to wait until mid-December to add a 15th standard contract to avoid the tax.

Per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Miami has been in contact with Precious Achiuwa. Getting out of Wiggins would not only clear $30.1 million from next year’s books but also put the team well under the tax threshold to add Achiuwa.

The Heat would gain flexibility for additional moves at approximately $9.3 million below the tax threshold.

Hachimura, who is on an expiring deal, is eligible for an extension if he proves to be a strong fit. He’s a better shooter than Wiggins, and more of a natural power forward (often playing out of position for the Lakers).

Knecht is also a shooting upgrade over Jaquez. Neither was outstanding last year, but the former has a longer runway on his contract, going into his second season.

The second-round pick is immaterial, and the cash is the vehicle to reroute Kleber to Brooklyn, instead of eating Miami’s immediate tax savings.

Why the Brooklyn Nets Do It

The Nets recently made official deals with Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Ziaire Williams. Their payroll has climbed to $138.8 million for 20 players (including two of the three eligible two-way contracts).

The league minimum for each team this season is $139.2 million, a figure Brooklyn needs to reach by opening night.

Still, the 15-man standard contract limit means the Nets must cut (or trade) at least three players. If that’s Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin, and Drew Timme, the team would only incur about $272,000 in dead money for Johnson’s partially guaranteed deal, dropping the team’s salary to $132.3 million (about $6.9 million short of the minimum required). Martin and Timme are non-guaranteed.

The Nets are required to spend that money before then. The question is how. In this deal, the team goes past that mark with Kleber by about $4.1 million. The Heat and Lakers combine to pay Brooklyn $6.6 million, yielding a $2.5 million profit.

Kleber, 33, wouldn’t make the Nets roster, hitting free agency, perhaps to join a team looking for an experienced veteran later in the season or even heading overseas to continue his career.

It’s a money move for Brooklyn, not a basketball deal. Timme is the only outgoing player, but he’s facing an uphill battle to make the team, given the already full roster.

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- LakerTom says
  
  September 11, 2025 at 3:51 pm
  
  Excellent trade idea from Eric Pincus.
  Laker get Wiggins, Jaquez, and Timme.
  Give up Hachimura, Knecht, and Kleber.
  $2M but no draft capital
  
  Log in to Reply

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