What a Bradley Beal trade would mean for the Los Angeles Lakers
On paper, Bradley Beal would be the perfect third star to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Beal is an elite scorer and shooter. He is also an underrated facilitator. Possibly the best part about Bradley Beal is that he is only 27 years old, lining up with the approach that Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers have taken during their roster remodel this offseason.
Beal, who finished the season ranked second in the NBA in scoring, would be the obvious third-best player on a championship team. The scary thing about it would be that he is arguably better than many teams’ best player. Teaming the shooting guard out of Florida with LeBron James and Anthony Davis would look like something out of a video game.
Although the pros are obvious, there are also some things to be concerned about.
First, acquiring Bradley Beal would weaken the purple and gold on the defense end, something that the team had prided themselves on last season. Beal is an undersized two-guard that focuses on the offensive end of the floor; however, it is easy to think that joining the reigning NBA champions could help increase his motivation on defense.
Second, any trade for Bradley Beal would most likely require quite the haul. Although, like John Wall, he is owed huge amounts of money over the next few years, he is still deemed one of the premier stars in the league. A star in his prime doesn’t become available too often, so it would be expected that Tommy Sheppard would want to make the most of a deal for his young guard.