In the opinion of a Western Conference executive, the Los Angeles Lakers will end up making a trade for Bradley Beal.
In the midst of a conversation on “The Crossover NBA Show with Chris Mannix and Howard Beck” podcast, Beck spoke about a conversation he had with the unnamed executive.
“So here was the quote from the Western Conference executive I spoke to who had mentioned this,” Beck said. “He says, ‘Washington is the one that I keep thinking that’s going to happen. If you’re the Lakers, don’t you think you can get Bradley Beal? He’s got a no-trade clause. He wants to come to California.’”
Beck also noted that while Beal has a no-trade clause in his current contract, he reportedly has an interest in playing for a team in California.
Last week, Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes also noted the Lakers’ interest in Beal.
The Lakers ‘covet’ Bradley Beal, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/UV6PYUCyTZ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 10, 2022
The Lakers have been looking at possible deals involving a number of top guards besides Beal for an extended period. Among the other prominent names that have previously been mentioned are the Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving and Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers.
From the Lakers’ perspective, they have few future draft choices to offer the Wizards, most notably first-round selections in 2027 and 2029.
The Lakers would also presumably add Russell Westbrook in a proposed trade for Beal, given Westbrook’s expiring contract and the need to balance the salaries of the players involved.
If that were to happen, it would be ironic considering that the Lakers acquired Westbrook from the Wizards last year in a blockbuster deal. At the time of the trade, Westbrook’s addition to the Lakers’ lineup was seen as a key piece to a potential championship run.
That vision quickly evaporated as the Lakers failed to even reach last year’s postseason. This season has been no better, though Westbrook has been effective off the bench.
Right now, there’s no timeline for any potential deal. Of course, that assumes that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is pursuing it.
However, with each passing game, the need to inject some life into the Lakers’ lineup becomes more important.
The Lakers will enter Friday night’s home matchup against the Detroit Pistons with a 3-10 record. They stopped a five-game losing streak on Sunday with a 116-103 win over the Nets.
There’s no guarantee that adding Beal would change the Lakers’ current woes. Yet, there seems to be little downside in going forth with trade discussions.
