Heat reportedly crush Lakers' trade plans much to Rockets' benefit

The Houston Rockets should be one of the best teams in the Western Conference this year, but it won't be easy. The conference remains loaded. So, anything that bolsters the East while weakening the West is good for them. That's why Rockets fans should be celebrating the Heat's rumored decision not to send Andrew Wiggins to the Lakers.

It may seem inconsequential to some. They'll argue that Wiggins doesn't move the needle. They will be wrong.

Sure, Wiggins isn't a superstar. He is among the better 3-and-D wings in the NBA:

And that's exactly what the Lakers need.

The Lakers are weak in the Rockets' area of strength

The Lakers are a threat. They're formidable on paper, and the Rockets should take them seriously.

LeBron James refuses to age. He remains a fringe All-NBA player. Remove the "fringe" when discussing Luka Doncic - he's one of the best players in the league. Austin Reaves has established himself as a credible third option as well.

The Lakers also added some quality pieces this summer. Marcus Smart surely still has something to give. Deandre Ayton is a sensible reclamation project. There's a lot of talent here:

But the wing talent is low.

Rui Hachimura is solid. That's about it. Unless the Lakers are banking on rookie Adou Thiero to contribute, they've got limited options. James is technically a wing, but forgive him if he's no longer a consistent defensive presence at 40.

Wiggins would have been the perfect addition. So, reports from Clutch Point's Brett Siegel indicating that the Heat intend to keep Wiggins are music to Rockets' fans' ears.

It should be noted that Houston snagged the Lakers' best 3-and-D wing in free agency this summer. The Lakers would be thrilled to have Dorian Finney-Smith on the roster heading into 2025-26. Unfortunately for them, he'll be a Rocket:

How much should that benefit Houston?

Rockets will be one of the NBA's best teams

It wouldn't be controversial to say the Rockets look better than the Lakers on paper. That doesn't mean they'll be better in practice.

If Doncic and James coalesce, Los Angeles will be scary. That's one of the most talented duos in the NBA.

Luckily, the Rockets will be built to deal with them.

How do you stop a superstar offensive duo? Throwing a platoon of elite defensive wings is a good start. This will be a fun matchup to keep an eye on in 2025-26:

But it'd have been more fun for Lakers fans if they had Andrew Wiggins.