The Miami Heat are focused on the roster they have built after moving on from All-Star forward Jimmy Butler. The Heat traded Butler to the Golden State Warriors during the 2024-25 NBA season after the star forward forced his way out. In return, Miami received Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and a future pick from the Warriors. The team also acquired Davion Mitchell from the Toronto Raptors.
Wiggins appeared in 19 games for Miami after the trade. He had a better run compared to his 43-game appearance with the Warriors before the trade deadline. During his limited time with the Heat, the former No. 1 pick averaged 19 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
However, there have been whispers that the Heat forward has been involved in a couple of trade negotiations this summer. Particularly, the Los Angeles Lakers were mentioned as a trade destination for the Canadian star.
Amid the trade rumors surrounding the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers and Wiggins, NBA insider Brett Siegel shut down the talks. According to his report, the South Beach team isn’t interested in trading him at the moment.
“Those same rumors from July have once again surfaced before training camp and the preseason, specifically involving the Lakers’ longstanding interest in the 3-and-D wing.”
“Right now, the Heat don’t hold much of a desire to trade Wiggins and are operating under the mindset of waiting to see how things play out during the first few months of the regular season, sources said. Miami has held a high asking price for the former first-overall pick, one that the Lakers haven’t been willing to meet,” Siegel said.
It’s safe to assume that Wiggins will remain with the Heat for a while.
NBA insider suggests that the Miami Heat should swap Nikola Jokic for Kel’el Ware in the starting lineup
Credit: Getty Images
Ahead of the 2025-26 season, it’s expected that the Miami Heat will maximize the young center, Kel’el Ware, in the starting lineup. However, ESPN’s Zach Lowe proposed a different mix in the starting five that would demote Ware to a bench role. Lowe suggested that the Heat should opt for a smaller and quicker lineup.
According to the insider, a lineup of Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic and Bam Adebayo would be a better fit. Lowe said that he’s not a fan of the double-big lineup of Adebayo and Ware.
“I would consider starting Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo. I’m not sure that double-big look [with Kel’el Ware] is the way I want to go to start out this year.… I’d start Jovic over Ware and then figure out the guard spot,” Lowe said.
Zach Lowe on the Miami HEAT:
“I would consider starting Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo. I’m not sure that double-big look [with Kel’el Ware] is the way I want to go to start out this year.… I’d start Jovic over Ware and then figure out… pic.twitter.com/l6xezHNFS4
— Heat Diehards (@HeatDiehards) September 16, 2025
The proposed lineup would give the Heat more space to operate, especially on the offensive end. However, it could create problems defensively, since Adebayo and Wiggins are the only ones who are elite at that level.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
