Andrew Wiggins has been linking with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer despite the addition of the roster.
The Lakers have acquired Deandre Ayton, Jake Laravia and Marcus Smart, but their desire for upgrades is ongoing.
Mark Stein recently revealed that the Lakers will consider expiring contract players and parting to trade with two-way wings like Wiggins.
After the 2025-26 season, Louis Hachimura, who will become an unlimited free agent, has emerged in trade rumours as a potential work.
Lakers expert John Ireland believes the franchise should not consider dealing with Wiggins’ humanitarian village.
His reasoning focuses on Tamura’s excellent defensive options due to his size and versatility.
“It’s not 100% positive that Andrew Wiggins is better than Louis Hachimura,” Ireland told the Mason and Ireland show.
“I think Louis can give him more choices defensively thanks to his size. I’ll say that, I really like Louis. I’m a huge fan of him coming and going to the court. I hate seeing him go.”
Ireland has expressed its personal preference for maintaining Han Village, acknowledging the reality of the NBA trade.
“I understand that you had to trade something to get something, but I don’t know if I’ll make that deal or not. There’s nothing against Andrew Wiggins that I think is a great player, but I just like Louis,” he added.
Defensive statistics suggest that Wiggins leads Hanchon in stealing and defensive assessments, improving overall defensive impact.
However, Gen is good at fighting, but the context is important as Wiggins usually protects the key scorers.
| Player | I’ll steal | def. evaluation | def. FG% | def. rebound |
| Andrew Wiggins | 1.0 | 113.5 | 55.8% | 3.0 |
| Rui Hachimura | 0.8 | 116.3 | 45.6% | 3.7 |
Statistical comparisons do not offer a clear advantage for either player, and support Irish argument that trade does not represent a significant upgrade.
Ireland has expressed more interest in pursuing Wiggins’ former Miami Heat teammate, Haywood Highsmith, as an alternative target.
“He was fine in Miami. I’m more interested in the deal,” Ireland said.
Highsmith will offer Wing Defense in valuable offensive production, shooting 38.2% from last season’s 3-point range.
His $5.6 million expiry contract offers economic flexibility while addressing the Lakers’ two-way wing needs without sacrificing Tamura’s established chemistry and potential.