Improve compatibility with future versions of setuptools

docs/news.rst

@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 Release Notes
 =============
 
+**UNRELEASED**
+
+- Added a redirection from ``wheel.bdist_wheel.bdist_wheel`` to
+  ``setuptools.command.bdist_wheel.bdist_wheel`` to improve compatibility with
+  ``setuptools``' latest fixes.
+
+  Projects are still advised to migrate away from the deprecated  module and import
+  the ``setuptools``' implementation explicitly. (PR by @abravalheri)
+
 **0.44.0 (2024-08-04)**
 
 - Canonicalized requirements in METADATA file (PR by Wim Jeantine-Glenn)

src/wheel/bdist_wheel.py

@@ -1,11 +1,26 @@
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 from warnings import warn
 
-from ._bdist_wheel import bdist_wheel as bdist_wheel
-
 warn(
     "The 'wheel' package is no longer the canonical location of the 'bdist_wheel' "
     "command, and will be removed in a future release. Please update to setuptools "
     "v70.1 or later which contains an integrated version of this command.",
     DeprecationWarning,
     stacklevel=1,
 )
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from ._bdist_wheel import bdist_wheel as bdist_wheel
+else:
+    try:
+        # Better integration/compatibility with setuptools:
+        # in the case new fixes or PEPs are implemented in setuptools
+        # there is no need to backport them to the deprecated code base.
+        # This is useful in the case of old packages in the ecosystem
+        # that are still used but have low maintenance.
+        from setuptools.command.bdist_wheel import bdist_wheel
+    except ImportError:
+        # Only used in the case of old setuptools versions.
+        # If the user wants to get the latest fixes/PEPs,
+        # they are encouraged to address the deprecation warning.
+        from ._bdist_wheel import bdist_wheel as bdist_wheel