Lakers Monitoring Ex-NBA Champion Amid Trade Buzz

Even without LeBron James for much of the early season, the Los Angeles Lakers have established themselves as one of the Western Conference’s more competitive teams.

Now that James is healthy and back in the lineup, expectations are naturally rising, yet the front office continues to explore ways to upgrade the roster before the February 2026 trade deadline.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Los Angeles is still monitoring former Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins as a potential target. During a recent Bleacher Report live stream, Fischer explained that the Lakers are searching for a “lob-threat big man” and a “two-way wing.”

Wiggins, he noted, clearly checks the box for the second category.

The 30-year-old Canadian has already played for three franchises in his 11-year career. Selected first overall by Cleveland in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Kansas, Wiggins was quickly moved to Minnesota in the deal that brought Kevin Love to the Cavaliers. He spent his first five-plus seasons developing into a primary scoring option with the Timberwolves before being traded to Golden State in February 2020.

His time with the Warriors proved transformative. Though he no longer carried the offensive load he once did in Minnesota, Wiggins embraced a supporting role alongside Stephen Curry and company. The 2021-22 campaign marked the peak of that chapter: he started all 73 games he played, earned his first All-Star nod, shot a career-best 39 percent from three-point range, and averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while playing a key part in Golden State’s championship run.

After three more seasons in the Bay Area, Golden State moved on from Wiggins last season in the blockbuster trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Warriors and landed Wiggins in Miami. In his first full year with the Heat, the athletic wing put up 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game on 45 percent shooting from the field.

Interest from the Lakers first surfaced during the offseason, and despite no clear indication of an aggressive pursuit at the time, Wiggins has consistently been mentioned as a player the franchise covets. Several months into the current campaign, that interest apparently hasn’t faded.

Through 15 games with Miami this season, Wiggins is averaging 16.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 33 minutes per contest while contributing nearly one block and more than one steal per game on the defensive end. The Heat currently sit above .500, giving them little urgency to move a productive veteran.

That said, if Miami’s priorities shift as the trade deadline approaches, the Lakers figure to be among the first teams to call about the two-way forward who once helped deliver a title in Golden State.

For now, Los Angeles keeps close tabs on a player who could provide athleticism, perimeter defense, and proven postseason experience to a contender looking to maximize its championship window.