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Lakers linked to former $147 million Warriors All-Star forward, NBA champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers have every reason to be excited about the start of the offseason.
While the 17-time NBA champions have several difficult decisions to make, they should benefit from a talent-filled free agent and trade market.
While it’s unclear if a former Golden State Warriors All-Star forward and NBA champion is an asset the Lakers will prioritize this summer, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus took the liberty of linking him to Los Angeles in mid June.
“The Miami Heat are a prime candidate for Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom the Milwaukee Bucks may trade before the upcoming draft,” Pincus wrote Saturday.
“Wiggins can afford the Heat's flexibility by opting out of the final season of his $30.2 million deal to re-sign on a multi-year deal starting at a slightly lower salary, perhaps $25 million. Or, he can look to move on entirely.”
“Technically, the decision to opt out must be made in June, before free-agent suitors can reach out to negotiate. Still, those rules are often ignored by teams, and Wiggins should have a clear sense of whether the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in adding him as a scoring wing who can defend alongside Luka Doncic.”
Joining the Warriors midway through the 2019-20 season was the best thing that could’ve happened for Wiggins’ career. The former No. 1 overall pick was undoubtedly a star with the Minnesota Timberwolves to begin his career, earning Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie first-team nods in 2015 to go along with 2.5 20+ points per game campaigns.
However, when Wiggins made the transition from Minnesota to Golden State, he received an opportunity to compete with a serious title contender and didn’t waste it.
The 31-year-old was among the Dubs’ most impactful contributors on their 2021-22 championship squad, averaging 17.2 points on 46.6% field goal shooting and 39.3% three-point shooting as a decisive slasher and prolific spot-up shooter.
Wiggins' stint with the Warriors ended two Februarys ago, when the seven-time NBA champions sent him to the Miami Heat in exchange for Jimmy Butler. The good news for the Lakers is that the Kansas product is coming off the best three-point shooting season of his career, connecting on 41.4% of his triples on 333 attempts.
Wiggins also posted a solid 113.6 defensive rating this past year, showing he’s far from a liability on that end of the floor. Wiggins is certainly a player Los Angeles should keep an eye on as the first leg of the offseason begins.
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