The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers reportedly both are interested in Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski explained on “The Jump” that both teams want to get involved in a potential deal, but it will come down to whether or not they have enough assets.
"The Lakers and Clippers would love to get involved. But it comes down to have the draft picks. Beal will have a say of where he goes because of his contract situation" – @wojespn #NBA #NBATwitter #TheJump #DCAboveAll https://t.co/uynQZd5ZR5
— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) January 28, 2021
Beal has this season and next year remaining on his contract with the Wizards.
He also has a player option for the 2022-23 season that is worth over $37 million.
Clearly, acquiring Beal will require a lot of assets, but both the Lakers and Clippers have traded draft picks in recent years.
The Lakers gave up three first-round picks when they traded for Anthony Davis, and the Clippers traded away three of their own first-rounders (five total) in the Paul George trade.
Needless to say, both teams are lacking assets to make a deal for Beal realistic.
The Wizards are just 3-11 this season. They traded for Russell Westbrook during the offseason, but the deal has not panned out as they hoped.
The team has also dealt with a rash of injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak this season.
Beal is having another great year, but he may feel that he is wasting his prime by staying in Washington.
If Beal were to force his way out, the Lakers and Clippers would certainly be involved, but it is unlikely they would be able to conjure up the best offer for Beal.
This season, Beal is averaging 35.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
