Lakers Trade Proposal Lands Two-Way Wing Team Has ‘Interest’ In

The Miami Heat could reportedly be open to parting ways with 3-and-D star Andrew Wiggins, with the Los Angeles Lakers earmarked as a destination.

In light of the reports, For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky floated a Lakers trade proposal that would see the team part with Rui Hachimura’s expiring contract and either Gabe Vincent or Maxi Kleber to get their desired man, Wiggins.

Lakers would receive: Andrew Wiggins

Heat would receive: Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent or Maxi Kleber

Kalbrosky’s report noted that the Heat, who created a trade exception worth $16.8 million this offseason, wouldn’t have to take back the full $28.2 million owed to Wiggins in the 2025-26 season, making a deal with the Lakers more straightforward.

“There are no one-to-one fits that would work for Wiggins in a trade between the Lakers and the Heat. But one centered around Rui Hachimura is probably the closest that Los Angeles can get to satisfy what Miami would need within the salary cap,” he wrote.

How the Trade Helps Lakers

“Should the Lakers offer Hachimura, who is paid $18.2 million, they could get a deal done so long as they pair him with one more of their players on a “medium” sized contract,” he continued.

“That means that adding on expiring contract of Gabe Vincent (who has previously played for the Heat) or Maxi Kleber to Hachimura would all work to trade for Wiggins.”

As is well documented, the Lakers could open up to $60 million in cap space in 2026, and offloading the contracts of Hachimura and Vincent would be a start. Conversely, since both players are on expiring deals, the Heat may be interested in acquiring them, as they reportedly have ambitious plans of their own in 2026 and 2027.

The Wiggins to L.A. rumors gathered steam following a report from NBA insider Marc Stein, who named the Warriors All-Star as the prototype player the Lakers were eyeing.

“The sort of player who is likely to interest the Lakers? My read (if Miami were to make him available): Andrew Wiggins,” Stein wrote in his newsletter.

Heat Set High Asking Price

“Wiggins, 30, will earn $28.2 million this season and holds a $30.2 million player option for 2026-27. I wouldn’t have classified him as a potential purple-and-gold target before Dončić’s long-term future was secured, but things are different now. So my sense is that the Lakers would have interest if the Heat, in coming weeks or months, decide to prioritize financial flexibility and look to reduce payroll.”

At the start of the NBA’s free agency period, the Lakers were strongly linked to Wiggins as a potential trade target. However, the Lakers were unwilling to match the Heat’s reported price of Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, and a first-round pick.

“I’ve heard the asking price for Miami was pretty high,” Buha said in a Q&A session, via BasketNews. “We’re talking basically everything or close to everything that the Lakers could offer from a top asset standpoint. So, I don’t think that’s gonna happen.

“I don’t think the Lakers are trading Rui, a first-rounder, and Dalton [Knecht] for Andrew Wiggins. It’s not fair value. It’s not a realistic trade. I think Miami’s playing hardball, and we’ll see if they soften their stance.”

Wiggins arrived in Miami as part of the Jimmy Butler trade ahead of last season’s NBA trade deadline. In 17 games with the Heat, he averaged 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 46/36/73 shooting splits.

Dodgers Predicted to Sign Top MLB Free Agent After 2025 Season

Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman

The Los Angeles Dodgers have notoriously been one of the top spenders in MLB for several years now. They showed that at the beginning of 2025, they signed many top free agents to improve their roster.

However, that has not led them to become the juggernaut team many analysts and executives thought they would be. Los Angeles is 79-64 and will likely not reach the 90-win mark with just 20 games left this regular season.

Whatever the Dodgers do in the postseason, one MLB Insider believes they will sign the top free agent after 2025.

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Dodgers Predicted to Sign Kyle Tucker

The Chicago Cubs’ slugger is having a rough last two months of the season, but is still considered the top free agent.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale believes it will be to the Los Angeles Dodgers:

“Rival executives still believe he’ll be the highest-paid player in free agency,” Bob Nightengale reported Monday. “Their prediction where he’ll land? The Dodgers, who badly could use outfield help.”

The Dodgers could use outfield help, but signing Tucker to say, $400 million would put them far over the luxury tax. But it would address a much-needed positional issue. Los Angeles signed Michael Conforto to a one-year, $17 million deal before the season, and he has looked like a massive bust the entire season.

Conforto still isn’t above the .200 average mark, despite playing in 124 games. His OPS is 77, well below league average. The Dodgers also traded for left fielder Alex Call back in July, and he hasn’t had much production either. Signing Kyle Tucker in free agency is right up the Dodgers’ wheelhouse.

Although Tucker has struggled for the past few months, he’s still had a solid season. Kyle Tucker still has 22 home runs and an OPS+ of 140.

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Kyle Tucker Has So Many Accolades As a Player

Bleacher Report recently came out with a prediction piece about Kyle Tucker’s free agency, and it showed how tenured he is as a player:

“After all, Tucker’s resume includes a World Series title, four All-Star selections, a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. He led the league in RBI in 2023 when he was with the Houston Astros and has hit more than 20 home runs in each of the last five seasons. While he hasn’t been himself since the All-Star break with a .242 batting average, five home runs and 17 RBI, some of that can be explained by injury concerns. And he still has solid overall numbers this season with a .270/.381/.472 slash line, 22 home runs and 73 RBI. Tucker is also just 28 years old, which is another reason he will surely command a significant deal this offseason.”

The next question is how much the Dodgers would pay him, and that will be up to Tucker’s agent.

Fans of other MLB teams would not be happy with the Dodgers making a big-money signing like this, but it would put a lot of pressure on the Cubs to attempt to dish out a higher AAV contract. Tucker’s free agency will be one of the highest-anticipated events this offseason.