Welcome back to another trade on my new journey! In this one, Bradley Beal winds up a Laker in a relatively straightforward deal.
As usual whenever there's a star guard on the market, Lakers fans believe they have a chance to acquire Bradley Beal. They believed they could acquire Dame a few years ago, they actually did acquire Russell Westbrook, they thought they could acquire Kyrie Irving (3 different times including currently) and now you hear Lakers fans saying they can get Beal. Heck, I think I've even heard some of the wilder Lakers fans thinking they can get James Harden to LA. Lol. However, out of the group, I find Beal to be potentially the most realistic possible guard acquisition since Westbrook. Let's dive in and see what the Lakers could offer, and if it could be competitive!
Why the Lakers do this:
Obviously, the Lakers want to build a contender around LeBron James for as long as they can. Beal helps with that, averaging 23 on 35/50/84 shooting while taking a backseat to Porzingis for much of the season. He allows LeBron to lighten up on the scoring load after chasing down Kareem this year. The Lakers manage to keep Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell, allowing for either a fourth star to be brought in or just some basic depth, but knowing Pelinka, he'll probably shoot for Kyrie.
Why the Wizards do this:
The Wizards manage to acquire a relatively young guard who deserves more opportunity in Lonnie Walker IV, a young-ish big man in Mo Bamba, and a very tradeable contract in Malik Beasley. They also acquire some high-value picks including 17th overall in this year's draft (a draft in which I see some potential steals down the board) and the Lakers 2029 pick, and even another second rounder this year. This may just be the best package they can get for Beal, especially if he elects to not go to Miami if they have to give up Herro.
Why Bradley Beal does this:
The fun thing about Bradley Beal trades is that there's always a third party that has to agree to the deal, and that is Beal himself. Beal is the only man in the league with a no-trade clause at this time, making his situation quite unique.
Beal would presumably want to go to a big market to form a contender. This presumably leaves only a few options, including the Clippers, Heat, Knicks, Celtics, Lakers, and maybe 76ers. However, Beal manages to escape Washington in this deal to a team that isn't completely gutted in the LA Lakers. They still have assets like Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, D'Angelo Russell, and more alongside their stars. They are also coming off of a conference finals appearance. This allows Beal to quickly move to a deep, proven team in a big market for the rest of his career.
Let me know what you think in the comments section! Looking forward to this discussion!