The Los Angeles Lakers have been relatively inactive during the offseason. Their only moves thus far consist of letting Dorian Finney-Smith walk and using the cap flexibility that created to sign Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton. They brought back Jaxson Hayes and traded up in the second round to select Adou Thiero. But otherwise — especially on the trade front — it has been silent.
Sometimes, when a team is silent on a specific front, it means nothing more than just that. But sometimes, it could mean that the team is working on a move, and needs it to be completed before doing other things. Some felt that was the case when rumors began circulating about the Lakers’ possible interest in Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins.
It’s unclear how serious talks ever got between Miami and L.A. However, it didn’t take long before the Heat were reported to be holding on to Wiggins until the start of the season and that the Lakers’ interest may have been overstated to begin with, according Dan Woike of The Athletic on the Zach Lowe Show:
“They’re not interested in Andrew Wiggins. I think I can put that to bed.”
Putting these rumors to bed is certainly good for someone like Rui Hachimura, who was the name most-often discussed when it came to that deal. Having trade rumors looming over a player during the season almost never helps that player perform better.
But it also shows that maybe the Lakers’ silence over the last week or so is really just silence, and that nothing bigger is in the works. Wiggins, specifically, would have been an interesting addition. When swapped with Hachimura, he brings better perimeter defense, but arguably less consistent shooting and is several years older.
The Lakers might be waiting for a better deal to come along, or they are comfortable with what they have and going into the season with the roster as it is.
Four teams reached out to Rich Paul about trading for Lakers’ LeBron James
Despite a rocky start to the offseason for Lakers superstar LeBron James and agent Rich Paul, the message coming out from them has remained relatively consistent. LeBron has been clear that — while he was not requesting a trade — he was closely monitoring L.A.’s moves.
Of course, that type of statement was bound to set off a frenzy. And what ensued was immediate fake trade proposals and rumors tying him to places like the Cleveland Cavaliers for obvious reasons, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks and more. But all of this remained speculation, as LeBron still had not requested a trade.
That consistency in message continued at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, as recent reports reiterated what was already known about James’ status with the Lakers. But an interesting detail about Paul’s communication with other teams recently came out as four teams reportedly expressed interest in trading for the 40-year-old.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
