Pros and cons of proposed Lakers trade for Bradley Beal

The Los Angeles Lakers have some big decisions to make.

On the one hand, they have one of the two greatest players in NBA history on their roster and in the very latest stages of his prime. You don’t squander a year with LeBron James on your roster, but somehow the Lakers have managed to do so three of the four seasons he has been on the team.

On the other hand, Anthony Davis could miss a month or more with a foot injury, and even with Davis playing at a top-10 level the Lakers hadn’t yet climbed into the play-in range. With a thin roster and limited assets, this season may already be lost.

The Athletic’s John Hollinger ($) discussed the tension for the Lakers and came to a conclusion: this season is sunk. To maximize the team’s chances of competing next year, he suggested that the Lakers consider using their assets and Russell Westbrook‘s expiring contract to make a big move: trading for Bradley Beal, a player the Lakers can get excited about.

Could the Los Angeles Lakers push in their assets to add a former 30-point scorer?

Setting aside the fact that trading for Beal helps the Lakers now — therefore, what’s the point of the “this season is sunk” narrative, John — would the cost required make sense for the Lakers? Let’s look at how such a trade would be constructed and what the pros and cons would be.