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Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers guards Andrew Wiggins of the Miami Heat.
The Miami Heat reportedly won’t move veteran wing Andrew Wiggins in just a salary-dump transaction ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.
Per ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Heat have set an asking price of at least one future first-round pick and several rotational players who can help their playoff push.
“Miami has continued to signal that it won’t be dumping Wiggins for expiring contracts, as it would want real value in the form of a future first-round pick and a player or two who could immediately contribute to its playoff pursuit,” Siegel reported on Nov. 28.
The report added that the Heat haven’t engaged in “serious dialogue” with any team about Wiggins since the start of the season, but that could change by January.
“This is another situation where we will need to wait and see not only where Miami is in the standings come January, but also if a team gets desperate and offers more than expected for the two-way wing,” wrote the NBA insider.
Andrew Wiggins Suitors
The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks reportedly inquired about Wiggins this past offseason, and could do so again ahead of the February 5 deadline.
“Over the summer, the Los Angeles Lakers pursued Andrew Wiggins and had him high atop their trade targets list. The Milwaukee Bucks were another team who pursued Wiggins and held dialogue with the Miami Heat about his availability, sources said.”
Neither team could meet Miami’s high asking price, even though the Heat “never showed great interest” in trading Wiggins, per Siegel, as they wanted to see how he fits next to offseason acquisition Norman Powell, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
Coveted by Contenders
Wiggins, who has a $30 million player option in 2026-27, is reportedly coveted by title contenders across the league, primarily for his defense and championship pedigree. Wiggins played a vital role in the Golden State Warriors‘ 2022 title win, shutting down Jayson Tatum in the NBA Finals and emerging as the team’s second-best player.
A team such as the Lakers, who rank 16th in defensive efficiency, would absolutely love a stout defender like Wiggins on the wings — to cover for the weaknesses of Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic and a 40-year-old LeBron James.
However, the Lakers may struggle to match the Heat’s asking price as they own only one tradeable first-round pick and several expiring contracts — Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber and Jaxson Hayes — to offer in potential deals. Going by Siegel’s report, the Heat may not be blown away by what the Lakers can offer for Wiggins.
Wiggins has fit in nicely with Miami since arriving from Golden State as part of the Jimmy Butler III trade. He leads the Heat in minutes and has been a vital cog in Erik Spoelstra’s new-look, faster offense, helping the team start the season 13-7.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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