Trade season is upon us and the Los Angeles Lakers are at the heart of endless rumors once again. Some have indicated the Lakers' interest in high-level options, while others have indicated that the door is open for them to explore whatever intrigue may exist.
A new name has officially joined the fray amid a tumultuous time in the NBA: Phoenix Suns wing and former All-NBA honoree Bradley Beal.
Beal has become something of a victim of circumstance leading up to the 2025 NBA trade deadline. With Jimmy Butler forcing a trade from the Miami Heat, the Suns appear interested and Beal has become the most likely candidate to be moved.
According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix, Beal would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Heat, as well as the Lakers and Denver Nuggets.
As for Beal the no-trade looms large. He could have went to Milwaukee before he ended up in Phoenix but that was turned down. Have heard he would waive no trade for LA, Miami, Denver but I do believe there are a few others that he could ultimately decide work for him.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) January 6, 2025
Beal would be a fascinating fit on the Lakers, but the unfortunate reality is that the path to executing a trade would require Rob Pelinka to gut the roster.
Bradley Beal would accept a trade to the Lakers, but it's not plausible
Injuries plagued Beal in recent years, but he remains one of the most intriguing talents in the NBA. A dynamic scoring threat who can create his own offense and space the floor with elite efficiency, the 31-year-old is a captivating talent to consider.
In Los Angeles, Beal would be an all but perfect complement to Anthony Davis and LeBron James as a productive wing who can put up points in a hurry.
Thus far in 2024-25, Beal is averaging 17.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 2.2 three-point field goals made. He's doing so on just 14.5 field goal attempts per game, shooting at a clip of .480/.392/.760 and displaying his willingness to accept a role with both on-ball and off-ball responsibilities.
Unfortunately, there's a simple hurdle that renders a potential Beal trade virtually impossible: A contract that makes him a simply unrealistic target.
Beal is owed $50,203,930 in 2024-25, $53,666,270 in 2025-26, and has a $57,128,610 player option for the 2026-27 season. In other words: He's owed more than what both Davis and James will receive in 2024-25, and has comparable figures for 2025-26 and 2026-27.
Even if the Lakers were to decide that a Beal and Davis duo were the answer to whatever a post-James era may look like, the logistics of a trade are all but impossible to gain confidence in.
Even if Phoenix accepted a trade that included Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent, Los Angeles would need to include an additional $11,489,644 in salaries. Factoring in the Suns' desire to win at the highest level, that likely means they'd ask for Austin Reaves in any potential deal—a nonstarter based on the cost of the respective contracts alone.
That may be an oversimplification of the current circumstances to some degree, but that's truthfully all that needs to be understood about why Beal to the Lakers is the ultimate longshot: Any trade would require Pelinka to decimate the current rotation.
Factoring in injuries and the general uncertainty surrounding whether or not Beal can reach the next gear to play at an All-NBA level again, the Lakers simply can't justify a trade, no matter how intriguing it may be.