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Real reason why Miami Heat won’t trade Andrew Wiggins to LA Lakers revealed, LeBron James is to blame

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 8:00 AM ET

LeBron James may have cost the LA Lakers the chance to land Andrew Wiggins because of something he did a decade ago.

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a brilliant offseason, addressing some important weaknesses in their roster.

After the Lakers lost Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency, there was an immediate need for reinforcements, specifically for wing defenders.

As a result, the Lakers landed Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia to try and improve their depth. On top of that, they were able to bring Marcus Smart to the Lakers thanks to Luka Doncic.

But they don’t want to stop there, as the Lakers have their eye on Andrew Wiggins. Unfortunately for them, a decision from LeBron James years ago may have cost them the chance.

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Pat Riley still upset over LeBron James leaving Miami Heat, won’t trade Andrew Wiggins

An anonymous NBA executive told Lakers Daily that an Andrew Wiggins trade is highly unlikely for the LA Lakers.

In particular, the executive mentioned that Pat Riley still holds a grudge against LeBron James for leaving the Miami Heat, and won’t want to help him by trading an important player to his team.

“I would be stunned if Pat did this trade. You really think Pat wants to help LeBron [James]? He’s still mad about LeBron leaving Miami. I don’t see it happening.”

LeBron left the Heat after falling out with Riley, returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Given how much the Heat struggled after LeBron’s departure, it’s not a surprise that Riley is holding a grudge.

It would be “stunning” if the Heat trade Andrew Wiggins to the Lakers, per @LakersDailyCom

“I would be stunned if Pat did this trade. You really think Pat wants to help LeBron? He’s still mad about LeBron leaving Miami. I don’t see it happening.”

(https://t.co/rB2Q1az8se) pic.twitter.com/qzmWIRuFoL
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) September 20, 2025

Pat Riley is making a mistake holding on to a grudge

In yet another example of Pat Riley letting his pride and personal feelings get in the way of how he runs the Miami Heat, Andrew Wiggins is staying put for now.

Aside from his anger, Riley and the Heat want to hold on to Wiggins to see what kind of value he can bring in via a trade.

This is the same mistake Riley made with Jimmy Butler last season. The Heat waited too long to trade Butler and ended up getting less value for him in return.

At this point, the Heat have to consider reducing Riley’s control over the franchise, as it looks like he is making things much harder for them.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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