As the Feb. 5 trade deadline creeps closer, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves at a crossroads. The Western Conference is as competitive as ever, and standing pat could leave them watching from the sidelines come playoff time. Fortunately for L.A., there's still time-and more importantly, there are still targets on the board.
One name that continues to surface in the rumor mill is Andrew Wiggins. The 3-and-D wing, currently with the Miami Heat, has been floated as a potential fit in a three-team trade scenario involving the Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant.
The idea? The Lakers reroute Wiggins to Los Angeles, Memphis gets a reset button, and Miami takes a big swing by acquiring Morant.
From a basketball standpoint, the pieces make sense. The Lakers have long been on the hunt for a reliable two-way wing who can stretch the floor and defend multiple positions.
Wiggins fits that mold as well as anyone realistically available. His ability to guard the league’s top perimeter threats while knocking down threes at a high clip is exactly what this Lakers team needs to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Wiggins’ journey has been one of evolution. After entering the league with sky-high expectations in Minnesota, his career took a meaningful turn when he landed in Golden State in 2020.
There, he embraced a more defined role, honed his defensive instincts, and proved he could contribute to winning basketball. That culminated in a championship run with the Warriors in 2022, where he played a pivotal role on both ends of the floor.
Now with Miami, Wiggins is quietly putting together a solid campaign. He’s averaging 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting an efficient 46.6% from the field and an impressive 40.2% from deep. Those numbers don’t just suggest he’s still got it-they scream that he’s the kind of player who can elevate a contending roster.
For the Lakers, the fit is obvious. They’ve struggled with consistency on the wing and have lacked a reliable 3-point threat outside of their stars.
Wiggins brings both shooting and defense, plus the kind of playoff experience that can’t be taught. He’s not a flashy acquisition, but he’s the kind of under-the-radar move that can make a big difference in April and May.
Of course, pulling off a three-team deal is never simple. There are financial hurdles, roster logistics, and of course, the willingness of all parties to dance. But if the Lakers are serious about making a run this season, this is the kind of deal they should be aggressively pursuing.
The clock is ticking, but the opportunity is still there. Wiggins may not be the blockbuster name fans clamor for, but he might just be the piece that helps L.A. find the right balance between star power and role-player reliability. If the Lakers want to maximize what could be one of LeBron’s final playoff pushes, this is the kind of move that could matter most.