Why the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards would say yes:
Brooklyn Nets:
This is kind of a no-brainer for the Nets. They would lose Kyrie Irving but they would get someone who arguably fits better next to Kevin Durant in Bradley Beal. Irving is probably still the better player when he is at his absolute best but Beal is no slouch either and the Nets would arguably be more successful with Beal, assuming Ben Simmons comes back.
The real question in this trade is how the Wizards would handle it and why the Wizards wouldn’t just try to trade Beal for Irving.
Washington Wizards:
First of all, this entire trade is under the idea that Irving is forcing his way out of Brooklyn and wants to join the Los Angeles Lakers. With Irving flexing that leverage and Beal flexing his leverage, the Wizards don’t really have a choice.
And that is what it ultimately boils down to. With Beal having a player option he has the leverage this offseason. He can go to the Wizards and give them an ultimatum: let him opt out of his deal and they get nothing for him or he can opt into his player option and allow them to trade him to get picks in return.
Yes, they get a bad asset in Westbrook but the entire idea would be getting Westbrook to eventually buy him out and save money in the long term. If he was not an expiring contract it would make no sense.
The player options are the most important pieces of this trade for all sides involved. Since both Irving and Beal have player options, they could opt into their deals, execute the trade and sign extensions after the trade.
If they were outright free agents then it would hard-cap both the Nets and Lakers at the luxury tax, which would make it nearly impossible as both teams will go over that tax.