Getty Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal.
The trade deadline is finally upon the Los Angeles Lakers and the team could get active after an injury to LeBron James. The team simply needs to stay afloat while their superstars get healthy but that’s proving difficult with the current roster. The Lakers have been linked to Kyle Lowry but there’s a much better fit they should be aggressively pursuing.
At this point in the season, it’s clear that the Washington Wizards don’t have a good team. They are 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 15-27 record. Bradley Beal is a full-fledged superstar and is leading the NBA in scoring with his 31.8 points a game. He’s loyal to a fault so he’ll never likely request a trade. However, things in Washington just aren’t working and it might be time to reboot the franchise. If the team feels that way, they should explore trading Beal for a big haul.
Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd has been a big proponent concerning the Wizards trading Beal. He believes the Lakers should be all over the superstar guard, especially with LeBron and Anthony Davis out.
“Based on last year, what looks like the Lakers’ recipe for success and championships is AD & LeBron get a bunch of time off, show up to the playoffs and they’re great,” Cowherd said.
Cowherd believes that Beal can serve as a player who keeps the Lakers afloat during the regular season while Davis and LeBron stay fresh for the playoffs.
“The reality is, the Lakers need a third star. It’s not stacking the deck,” Cowherd said. “This is why I’ve been a big proponent of Bradley Beal. I don’t know if Bradley Beal will be a great playoff player … but he’s a great regular season guy. Bradley Beal gives you 80 games a year. So you bring Bradley Beal in and if an AD, who’s brittle, gets hurt and LeBron is aging, you got Bradley Beal in there to drop 40 a night, keep you relevant, keep you as a top four or five seed in the West, and then when AD and LeBron come back for the playoffs, you’re ready to win a championship.”
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Beal Would Be Perfect Fit for Lakers
Cowherd has reported in the past that LeBron is a big fan of Beal. It’s easy to see why. He’s one of the most dynamic scorers in the NBA and plays with a ton of effort every night. While he’s mostly known for his offensive ability, he’s also a solid defender.
Beal would be the perfect player for the Lakers to target. They have a great defensive team but could certainly use a boost on offense. He’s also a career 37.6% 3-point shooter, which would help Los Angeles. His durability also has to be very appealing to the Lakers.
How Lakers Could Pull off Trade
It’s easy to talk about how great it would be for the Lakers to trade for Beal but it’s easier said than done. If the Wizards trade their best player, they’re going to want a massive haul. The team will likely want a ton of draft picks and/or young players.
The Lakers would have to offer a package featuring Talen Horton-Tucker, Alex Caruso and possibly Dennis Schroder. For what it’s worth, a trade of Horton-Tucker, Caruso, Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Beal did get accepted in the ESPN Trade Machine. If that’s the price the Lakers would have to pay for the superstar, they should do it immediately.
However, Beal hasn’t requested a trade and it’s hard to imagine the Wizards would pull one off unless he was campaigning for it. Perhaps things change this offseason when Washington fails to make the playoffs again.
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