If possible, should the Lakers trade for John Wall or Bradley Beal?

Which would be the best option?

If the Washington Wizards get to a point where they decide to cut bait on one or both of their star guards, which should the Los Angeles Lakers pursue?

Without knowing how John Wall will look coming back from his ruptured Achilles tendon, I cannot fathom paying him the amount owed to him. If we knew that Wall would be able to return as the same player as he was prior to his injury such a gamble could pay off.

However, because acquiring Wall would mean that the Lakers would almost certainly need to part with guys like Alex Caruso, Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell, it would be tough to justify such a move.

In my opinion, Bradley Beal would be the ultimate fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. His floor spacing and ability to get his own shot is something that could prove deadly for the defending champions.

With that being said, if the Los Angeles Lakers could make a deal happen for Bradley Beal they would have done it already. Acquiring Beal, although easier to accomplish because of his lower salary, would still require some cap gymnastics on the part of Rob Pelinka.

The Wizards would most certainly be looking for draft assets in order to make a potential deal work. With the Lakers unable to trade a first-round draft pick in the near future thanks to the Anthony Davis trade, they would need to bring in a third or fourth team to get the Wizards what they need.

Trading for Bradley Beal would be an opportunity cost for the Los Angeles Lakers. This would take them out of the running for one of the premier free agents in 2021. But as they discovered in previous years, sometimes the bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush.

If you have the ability to acquire a player of Beal’s stature, you need to kick the tires on the idea. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Bradley Beal on the floor at the same time, the Lakers would become the newest super team.