The Miami Heat are aware that the Los Angeles Lakers want to close a deal for Andrew Wiggins, and the president of the Heat, Pat Riley, is trying to pressure his former team. As reported by Jovan Buha, a Lakers expert, the Heat are trying to secure a very enticing package from Los Angeles in exchange for Wiggins.
The Heat want Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, and a first-round pick in exchange for Wiggins, Buha stated on his podcast. "The Lakers still need to add a starting defensive small forward to complement (their other players)... I don't think it's easy to find this type of small forward... They are in a difficult situation trying to resolve this. The price Miami is asking for needs to come down."
Wiggins was traded to Miami last season from the Golden State Warriors as part of the major Jimmy Butler trade. Wiggins was an All-Star and helped the Dubs win the NBA championship in 2022. He averaged 18 points last season with 4.5 rebounds and a 37.4% three-point shooting percentage.
Lakers' Alternatives
Buha mentions several other players that the Lakers could target if Riley doesn't lower his price, including the recently traded Jrue Holiday (now in Portland), Keegan Murray (the Kings are not interested in trading him), Bennedict Mathurin (the Pacers are unlikely to trade him), Derrick Jones Jr., Ochai Ogbaji, Royce O'Neal, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Matisse Thybulle.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rumores NBA: Este es el precio que tendrán que pagar los Lakers por Andrew Wiggins