The Lakers have resumed trade talks for Wiggins! Rui Hachimura emerges as a key asset, while the Heat firmly demand draft picks.

On December 27th Beijing time, according to insider Sidery, the Lakers and Heat have restarted negotiations regarding Wiggins. Since the offseason, Wiggins has been the Lakers' top acquisition target, but the Heat have consistently held a firm stance on requiring draft pick compensation since the initial talks. The Lakers can match salaries and are offering a package including Rui Hachimura plus another expiring contract.

As early as September this year, the Lakers and Heat held talks about Wiggins. At that time, the Lakers were very willing to trade Kessler, but the Heat insisted on adding a future first-round pick in return, causing the two sides to fail to reach an agreement.

In November, the Lakers were unstoppable for a stretch, winning 11 of 13 games and establishing a strong 15-5 start to the season. However, they have recently slumped, suffering a third consecutive loss after falling to the Rockets.

To make matters worse, when the Lakers’ three core players are on the court together, their defense is full of holes. So far this season, with James, Doncic, and Reeves playing simultaneously, the Lakers have conceded 118.7 points per 100 possessions, losing by 9.8 points per 100 possessions.

In the year-end clash, the Rockets ruthlessly exploited this critical weakness of the Lakers. Despite hitting only 8 of 24 three-point attempts, they scored 119 points on 53.3% overall shooting, including 68 points in the paint, and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, leaving the Lakers helpless.

Over the past week, the Lakers lost consecutively to the Clippers, Suns, and Rockets. Defensive issues have been glaring, which might explain why the team decided to restart talks about Wiggins. Previously, the Lakers showed interest in Pelicans’ Herbert Jones, but the Pelicans were unwilling to trade him and demanded a high price beyond the Lakers’ reach.

So far this season, 30-year-old Wiggins has appeared in 26 games, averaging 15.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 46.8% and a three-point accuracy of 38.8%.