The Los Angeles Lakers among many things will look to add wing depth this offseason. Two interesting additions have been speculated from the fellow West franchise, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Role players Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe are looking like a trade opportunity that both the Lakers and OKC can benefit from.
According to Lakeshowlife’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk, the Thunder — facing cap pressure and a bloating roster — may look to create flexibility by moving players like Joe and Wiggins. Meaningful minutes in Los Angeles look realistic for the duo.
“Both Joe and Wiggins would be significant upgrades over some of the back-end players the Lakers had in their rotation during the 2025-26 season,” Rovenchuk wrote. “For the Thunder, this is a case of having an abundance of wealth.”
It looks like a highly beneficial deal for L.A. as they will address their depth issue with players who have championship experience.
How the Lakers Can Acquire Thunder Duo
GettyAaron Wiggins hits a 3-pointer versus the Dallas Mavericks.
Wiggins, 27, and Joe, 26, carry a combined salary of less than $25 million in the cap space. It fits within the Lakers’ projected cap flexibility and they don’t need to overcommit to get the duo.
The Lakers’ cap space will potentially increase further with expiring deals like LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. They can send the latter to OKC to facilitate a deal as well as offering future first-round picks and the No. 25 pick in the 2026 draft.
The Thunder need to move due to possible extensions for core stars like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. As such, it is more of clearing space in return for future assets rather than getting salary-matching stars.
The good thing about this deal from a Lakers perspective is that it doesn’t in any way limit their chase for a big-name star to pair with Doncic. The front office has been speculated to chase serious contention pieces and those kinds of stars will take up significant trade assets and future picks.
The franchise will have to fall back on solid depth if it sacrifices stars like Austin Reaves for that cause.
What Wiggins and Joe Can Add to Luka Doncic-Led Team
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Every move the Lakers make this offseason will be tailored to maximizing Luka Doncic. Both Wiggins and Joe are solid role players and that could be the exact case in L.A.
They are consistent, Wiggins has played at least 60 games from his second year in the league while Joe has played at least 70 games since he joined the Thunder in 2022.
Wiggins and Joe don’t contribute to insane numbers but they will bring balance to the wings with their shooting and spacing.
“The Lakers crave shooting around Luka Doncic. Joe would be lethal with some of the easy looks Doncic creates,” Rovenchuk added. “Wiggins is a solid, albeit imperfect, defender who also shot a healthy percentage on his long-range looks in recent years.”
The Lakers’ perimeter shooting and depth will have an upgrade. This season, their roster showed vulnerabilities in consistent outside threat and wing defense behind the starters.
One of OKC’s biggest strengths in the last couple of years has been its strong depth. Wiggins and Joe had parts to play in that especially in the regular season. They will fit well in a less crowded rotation in L.A.
Lakers Pitched to Add $93 Million Sharpshooting OKC Duo for Luka Doncic