Getty Rob Pelinka, vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been looking for the right lineup combinations all season long.
Part of that has been due to injuries that have interrupted Head Coach Darvin Ham‘s preseason visions of depth being a strength. But they might do better trying to fortify some of their apparent weak spots with some more proven firepower.
Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins could be an option.
“I’ve said in the past that the Warriors might be reluctant to trade Wiggins so soon after he signed a relatively bargain-rate contract extension specifically so he could remain with this team,” wrote Tim Kawakami of The Athletic on December 28. “I’ve since heard that this would not be a major barrier for the Warriors to explore Wiggins’ trade market.”
Kawakami notes that Wiggins’ ability to play alongside third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga is key should Golden State decide the latter needs to remain in the starting lineup.
The Lakers could try to take advantage of that potential decision.
Lakers get:
– Andrew Wiggins
Warriors get:
– Gabe Vincent
– Rui Hachimura
– 2030 first-round pick swap
Wiggins’ 12.4 points per game on 50.3% true shooting would be the lowest and second-lowest marks of his career, respectively, should he finish the season on his current pace.
His 29.9% mark from beyond the arc would also be a career-low across an entire campaign.
Lakers Could Look to Rejuvenate Former Champion
Wiggins struggled as a starter this season, averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 27.9% from beyond the arc over the first 21 games. But he has averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 boards, and 1.7 assists in his six appearances off the bench.
Kuminga has only started nine games this season and just two alongside Wiggins.
Still, the Warriors – who went 1-1 in those games – have a minus-3.9 net efficiency differential in 1,250 possessions with Wiggins on the floor without Kuminga, per Cleaning the Glass. That number plummets to minus-18.5 when they play together (223 possessions).
Wiggins is in the first year of a four-year, $109 million contract. He has a $30.2 million player option in the final year.
He played a critical part in the Warriors’ championship run in 2021-22.
If the Lakers can get him back to his form from the past three seasons when he averaged 17.7 points, 4.7 boards, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 38.9% from deep, it could be a worthwhile investment.
Rui Hachimura’s Recent Play Could Be Enough for Lakers
The Lakers have not gotten much from Vincent as he has battled a knee injury that required surgery.
But Hachimura’s recent play has been encouraging enough to make this proposal moot. It could push the Lakers to try including another player – like rookie first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino – in the deal instead.
The fifth-year man out of Gonzaga is averaging 17.0 points per game on 59.8% true shooting over his last four outings.
He is still shooting 35% from downtown in that stretch. But he is shooting 37.3% for the season.
Rui Hachimura Appreciation
Hachumura also re-signed on a much cheaper deal than Wiggins, inking a three-year, $51 million contract this past offseason. He isn’t the defender that Wiggins is. But the Lakers have been better with Hachimura on the floor than they have without.
That, plus his familiarity with the team and relationship with LeBron James, could put him over the top if the decision came down to pursuing Wiggins or keeping him.