Are Lakers Smart to Wait on Potential Bradley Beal Trade amid Latest NBA Rumors?
Are Bradley Beal and the Los Angeles Lakers a potential match in the future? It sure seems like it, as it's a fit that makes sense.
There have been plenty of trade rumors involving the Lakers during their 3-10 start, and some of them have included the 29-year-old, who has spent his entire 11-year NBA career with the Washington Wizards.
However, Beal, who has a full no-trade clause in his contract with the Wizards, may not always want to stay there.
In fact, there may be a particular state where the shooting guard would like to end up, according to a Western Conference executive who spoke with Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated.
"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 told The Crossover NBA Show (h/t Jacob Rude of Silver Screen & Roll).
But there may be a reason why Los Angeles doesn't just go out and trade for the Florida alum at this time. And it has to do with the fact that he is in control of his situation because of his contract.
Even if the Wizards could get a better return for Beal than what the Lakers would be able to offer—Russell Westbrook and a pair of first-round draft picks, if they're willing to part with those—then he could just use his no-trade clause because he may not want to go to that team. So, Washington may then have to wait for L.A. to negotiate a deal.
And it doesn't seem like Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is in a hurry.
"That’s the logic that the Western Conference exec was laying out to me, and he said this: 'Whatever you want to say about Pelinka, he’s being smart, he’s taking his time,'" Beck said.
Is it smart, though? Sure, the Lakers might be able to get Beal for a slightly smaller asking price if he shuts down other potential trades, but they don't have all that much time to get their season on track.
The Lakers seem to still be in win-now mode while they have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, even though they missed the playoffs last season and are struggling this season.
Beal is the type of player they need to help them get better results, especially with Westbrook still not being a great fit in the lineup.
If Los Angeles is committed to contending now, it should try to assemble the best roster as soon as possible. And it may take some time to work out a deal with Washington, as trades don't come together immediately, especially if a team isn't rich with draft capital (which the Lakers aren't).
The best move is for the Lakers to try to trade for Beal as soon as possible, as he would likely provide them with a tremendous boost and give them another strong player to build around.
Plus, they never may know what could happen if they wait too long, as Beal could always change his mind about where wants to play.
