Cons of a Lakers trade for Beal
There are two massive drawbacks to trading for Bradley Beal. The first is the contract; Beal just signed a five-year, $251 million maximum contract this past summer. The average salary is over $50 million, and in his age-33 season he will make $57 million. Armed with a no-trade clause, it’s also a contract the Lakers can’t move unless Beal says yes.
The other issue is that Beal continues to suffer from injuries of both the nagging and serious kinds. After playing every available game from 2017 to 2019 Beal has missed significant time in the years since, including missing 42 games a season ago and 12 and counting this year.
Trading for Beal means taking on a massive contract that will require Beal to stay healthy and play at an All-Star level to justify even with the cap going up. Does he increase the Lakers’ odds of winning a title enough to make this worth it?
More so than the prospect of adding Myles Turner or Nikola Vucevic or even DeMar DeRozan, the answer is probably yes. The Lakers can’t try to “bridge’ any eras here; they will only have LeBron for another couple of years, and building back to a title contender in the future could take a long time. Trading for Beal has issues, but it also gives the team a legitimate third option.
Lakers who must desperately step up with Anthony Davis injured
The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Anthony Davis for some time and it is imperative that these players step up in his absence.
Final Verdict: Worth it for one pick, less so for both first-rounders. This deal isn’t perfect but it raises the Lakers’ ceiling, unlike most other deals. If the Wizards are willing to talk, Los Angeles should go for the deal.