Lakers eyeing trade for former No. 1 overall draft pick

LeBron James might not be the only former No. 1 pick on the Los Angeles Lakers roster for long.

The Lakers have checked in with the Miami Heat about a potential trade for veteran forward Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints reported during a YouTube appearance this week. Irwin notes that the Lakers have asked the Heat about what the price would be for Wiggins.

Wiggins was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He almost got a chance to play with the Lakers star in Cleveland but was promptly traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the Kevin Love deal before he ever got to play in a game for the Cavs.

Now 30, Wiggins was an NBA champion as well as an All-Star selection with the Golden State Warriors in 2022. He was then traded to the Heat as part of the Jimmy Butler deal in February and averaged 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game with plus defense over his handful of games for Miami.

Wiggins is probably Miami’s most realistic trade asset as he is entering his final guaranteed year under contract next season at $28.2M. He would also immediately become another potent scoring threat as well as a top perimeter defender for the Lakers (especially with Dorian Finney-Smith holding a player option for next year and also with Jarred Vanderbilt’s troubling history of injuries).

But the problem is that the Lakers might not have much to offer the competing Heat for Wiggins, especially assuming that Austin Reaves is off the table. Some combination of Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht and a first-rounder in 2031 or 2032 probably isn’t enticing Miami at this point. Thus, the Lakers might be better served trying to add elsewhere on the trade market (such as with this recently rumored target).