The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing for the 2025-26 NBA season with expectations higher than ever. After falling short of their title ambitions last year, the front office reshaped the roster in the offseason.
LeBron James opted into his $52.6 million player option, keeping him in purple and gold for another run. The team signed Deandre Ayton on a two-year, $16.6 million deal, added Marcus Smart on a two-year, $11 million contract, and in August, Luka Doncic committed long term with a three-year, $165 million maximum extension. Those moves strengthened the core, but reports suggest the Lakers are not done. Now, they are reportedly eyeing another All-Star to reinforce their wing rotation.
Lakers’ Renewed Interest in Andrew Wiggins
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, the Lakers are expected to be aggressive on the trade market following Doncic’s extension, with Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins emerging as a serious target.
“One area the team is focused on is upgrading the wing, where it needs more two-way talent,” Woike wrote. “A player like Miami’s Andrew Wiggins, whom the Lakers weren’t interested in earlier this summer, is now a more desirable player, provided the price is right.” The Lakers now consider Andrew Wiggins a more “desirable player” to trade for, per @DanWoikeSports
The team is willing to take on contracts beyond the 2025-2026 season after Luka Doncic signed his extension
This shift in tone comes just months after Woike himself downplayed any possibility of Wiggins to Los Angeles. On The Zach Lowe Show earlier this summer, he had said bluntly that the Lakers were “not interested” in pursuing the veteran forward.
Wiggins, 30, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He became an All-Star in 2022, the same year he helped the Golden State Warriors capture the NBA championship. Last season, split between the Warriors and Heat, he averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three. His contract and Miami’s asking price—reportedly involving young talents like Rui Hachimura or Dalton Knecht and draft capital—remain complicating factors (via Jovan Buha).
Is Andrew Wiggins the Lakers’ Final Missing Piece?
Wiggins brings a skill set that directly addresses gaps in the Lakers’ roster. His defensive versatility allows him to guard multiple positions, while his ability to space the floor with reliable perimeter shooting makes him a natural fit alongside James and Doncic.
Wiggins has also proven he can perform in the playoffs and offers a championship pedigree and composure under pressure—qualities the Lakers have been seeking at the wing for some time now. With Ayton providing rim protection and Smart reinforcing the perimeter defense, Wiggins could become the final piece in a lineup designed for two-way balance.
While his fit is clear, the question is whether Los Angeles can strike a deal that doesn’t mortgage its future.
