Bradley Beal is the latest NBA star to find himself on the trade market and there do not appear to be many suitors because of Beal’s abnormally large contract. That being said, the Los Angeles Lakers cannot be ruled out as the team can put together a logical trade package to trade for the three-time all-star.
Trading for Beal would certainly be a big risk. It would not only hamper the team’s roster-building ability with another inflated salary, but it would lock the Lakers into four more years of what the Wizards have had with Beal. That does not sound like the best scenario.
However, there are some positives to bringing in Beal. It would give Los Angeles a third star who might fair much better as the third-best player on a contender rather than the first. Plus, it might actually help the Lakers in the long run, as it could convince a certain star to join the purple and gold in the future if Beal is already in town.
Trading for Bradley Beal could convince Jayson Tatum to join the Lakers
Despite playing for the rivaled Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum has flirted with Lakers fans during his tenure in the league. He has not kept it a secret that he was a massive Lakers and Kobe Bryant fan growing up. Tatum even donned the purple and gold for a photo shoot in Kobe’s jersey as part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary.
There is already a connection between Tatum and the franchise that could help in free agency in the future. Beal could be the icing on the cake thanks to his relationship with Tatum.
Both Beal and Tatum are from St. Louis, going to the same middle school and high school. Their relationship has been well-documented and there may not be another pair of all-stars in the league that have this deep of ties.
So Tatum could have the chance to follow in his idol’s footsteps, play for the franchise that he grew up rooting for and play with someone that he grew up with? That is a great recipe to lure Tatum to Los Angeles once his contract is up in Boston.
Tatum can become a free agent after the 2024-25 season as he has a player option. He will still only be 27 years old and would likely be in the prime of his career. At that point, both LeBron James and Anthony Davis would completely be off the books, allowing LA to afford Tatum alongside Beal if he was on the team.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA and Tatum still has two more years under contract with the Celtics. But because of the short-term and long-term potential, the Lakers may talk themselves into trading for Beal.