Early September is usually a very quiet time around the NBA, as players wait for the summer to end and for training camp to finally arrive. But that doesn’t mean that trades do not happen late in the offseason.
In recent years, notable stars such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Damian Lillard have been moved very late in the offseason. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t opposed to making a late-summer trade themselves, or a trade during the season, in order to augment their roster.
It has been thought that they’re reluctant to add any contracts to go beyond this season, since it is believed they want maximum salary cap space and flexibility to chase after Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokić. But Stein wrote on his Substack that the Lakers’ reluctance to add such a contract has softened.
“The Lakers are in win-now mode,” Stein wrote.
“They signed Luka Dončić to a three-year max contract extension worth $165 million on the first day such a deal was permissible (Aug. 2). They have LeBron James under contract for one more season. And they will be on the lookout, I’m told, for the proverbial right deal to present itself to upgrade on the wing if possible and add to a list of newcomers headlined by Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia.
“As I understand it: The Lakers’ reluctance in the early stages of the offseason to consider trades for contracts that stretch beyond the 2025-26 season has thawed somewhat.
“I don’t think that means they’ll swing a deal for just anyone between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but league sources say L.A. would indeed have interest in adding a two-way swingman who can raise their ceiling.”
Stein also wrote that Los Angeles would be interested in one particular game-changing wing it was reportedly looking to acquire from the Miami Heat earlier in the summer.
“The sort of player who is likely to interest the Lakers?” Stein continued.
“My read (if Miami were to make him available): Andrew Wiggins.
“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.”
There have been conflicting reports about the Lakers’ pursuit of Wiggins. Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints repeatedly reported that they were negotiating with the Heat, but Dan Woike of The Athletic said in July that L.A. isn’t interested in Wiggins.
Wiggins was traded to the Heat by the Golden State Warriors midway through last season and averaged 18.0 points on 44.8% field-goal shooting and 37.4% from 3-point range. He won an NBA championship with Golden State in 2022, and he has been regarded as a tenacious defender who possesses ample athleticism.