Los Angeles Lakers are keen on getting their roster ready for the next season. They had a very successful trade phase last February. Those trades before the deadline saved the Lakers from not making the postseason. Anyway, they could not make the postseason last year. It was very embarrassing for the 17-time champions to miss out on the postseason. Moreover, the 2020 champions have top stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But even with them, it is indeed disappointing when the team fails to make the postseason. Even LeBron James mentioned, “Not making back-to-back postseason is not in my DNA.”
But after a horrible start to the 22-23 NBA season, the Lakers were in dire need of a change in the roster. Hence, the February trades brought balance and stability to their roster. Eventually, they made the postseason and went as far as the western conference finals. Clearly, the players who joined the group in February are valuable assets that the Lakers might want to keep for as long as possible. However, most of them are entitled to free agency in the offseason. Hence, the Lakers are looking at possible options for signing and replacing these valuable assets. One such option for the Lakers is the 29-year-old shooting guard of the Washington Wizards, Bradley Beal.
Lakers Willing To Trade D’Lo And A Few More Assets For Bradley Beal
The Lakers’ front office is reportedly planning to use D’Angelo Russell for a possible trade scenario. At first, they had plans to sign Kyrie Irving in exchange for D’Lo and a few more assets, including first and second-round picks from 2027 and 2029. But now it seems the Irving deal may not happen as he wants to bring in LeBron James to the Dallas Mavericks. So now, the LA franchise is looking to buy Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. In return, the Lakers are willing to trade D’Angelo Russell, Mo Bamba, Malik Beasley, the 17th overall pick, and a future second-round pick.
Bradley Beal is the lone player who has no clause for trade and can choose any team he wishes. However, he still has four years remaining in a contract of five years worth $251 million. Beal is an All-Star player, but paying him $50 million as he turns 30 shortly can be a risky move. Moreover, if he fails to be the best or the second-best player on the team, it is even riskier.
Is Bradley Beal A Worthy Deal For The 17 Time Champions?
Bradley Beal was averaging 23.2 points and 5.4 assists, along with a career-best shooting from the field with 50.6%. This average in just 50 games is pretty good. Moreover, the Lakers need a playmaker and a good ball handler. On top of that, the Lakers always buy players with a superstar status or an emerging star profile. Beal is all of that, albeit his contract is pretty insurmountable. The 29-year-old Wizards shooting guard is worth $46.7 million for the next season, $50.2 million in the 2024-25 season, $53.6 million in the 2025-26 season, and $57.1 million in the 2026-27 season. Moreover, Beal has a player option which, hopefully, he will pick up at age 34. The insurmountable contract of Bradley Beal also includes a 15% trade bonus.
