The Lakers' transfer attempt that would have shocked the NBA
A league executive says he would have been very surprised if the Heat had sent Andrew Wiggins to LA
During this summer, the Los Angeles Lakers tried to negotiate several trades. The L.A. franchise wanted to strengthen its roster around Luka Doncic in the NBA through this avenue, as salary cap space in Free Agency was limited. The deal involving Andrew Wiggins was on the table, but Miami Heat ultimately chose not to part ways with their player.
According to information published by Lakers Daily, the contacts between both franchises were real, but from the beginning, there was a strong doubt about whether Pat Riley, Heat's President, would agree to trade Wiggins to Los Angeles. A league executive was categorical about it:
"I would have been very surprised if Pat made this trade. Do you really believe Riley wants to help LeBron [James]? He still holds resentment for him leaving Miami. I didn't see it possible then, and I don't see it now," he explained.
The relationship between Riley and LeBron is still marked by what happened in 2014 when James left Miami after four consecutive Finals and two rings. Even though more than a decade has passed, the memory of that departure lingers, and everything indicates that the legendary executive would not be willing to provide reinforcements to LeBron in the final stretch of his career.
However, the cost of the trade, which would likely have included Rui Hachimura and additional assets, combined with Miami's resistance, quickly cooled the interest of the Lakers.
**The new plan of the Lakers**
Far from insisting on the Wiggins route, the sports direction led by Rob Pelinka has chosen to bolster in other areas. This summer, Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia arrived, forming a team that aims to compete in the Western Conference with Luka Dončić and LeBron James as leaders. The immediate plan is no longer about adding Wiggins but about betting on the cohesion of the current core and maintaining flexibility for 2026, when a deeper free agency market is expected.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El intento de traspaso de los Lakers que hubiese dejado en shock a la NBA
