Photo: Golden State Warriors/X

Earlier in the offseason, Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins was floated as a possible trade target for the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, those rumblings appear to have little substance, according to a recent update from The Athletic’s Dan Woike.

Speaking on The Lowe Post podcast with ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Woike made it clear that there’s no traction behind the idea of Wiggins heading to Los Angeles.

“(The Lakers) are not interested in Andrew Wiggins,” Woike said flatly. “I think I can put that to bed. I’m pretty confident on that front.”

Initial speculation had tied the Lakers to Wiggins in potential trade scenarios that included young wing Dalton Knecht or a future first-round pick, along with Rui Hachimura’s expiring $17 million contract.

But many analysts viewed those terms as lopsided in favor of Miami, particularly given Wiggins’ recent struggles.

Zach Lowe, for one, wasn’t convinced by the chatter, expressing confusion over why the Lakers would surrender meaningful assets for a player whose impact has been inconsistent.

“I didn’t understand those rumors,” he said. “They were suddenly giving up a lot of s–t for Andrew Wiggins. Like, is Rui Hachimura just as good as Andrew Wiggins? Why am I adding a lot more to that?”

The skepticism is not without merit. Wiggins had a turbulent 2023–24 campaign, beginning the season with Golden State before being moved to Miami.

Both teams statistically performed better when Wiggins was off the floor – a troubling sign for a player once considered a valuable two-way contributor.

Though Wiggins’ name continues to surface in trade discussions, Woike’s comments suggest Lakers management is focused elsewhere, especially with key young talent like Knecht under contract and limited draft capital to work with.

Ultimately, unless Miami significantly lowers its asking price or Wiggins rediscovers his former All-Star form, it appears a Lakers-Wiggins union is off the table for now.

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