NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Get Bradley Beal For Three Players & Two First-Rounders In Proposed Blockbuster Deal
Despite the fact they are leading the Western Conference with an 11-4 record, there have been several trade ideas involving the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers since the 2020-21 season started last month. While superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis have a strong supporting cast in place, talk still remains regarding the possibility of adding a third top-tier player to give the Lakers their own “big three.” According to one recently proposed scenario, Los Angeles could target Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal if they choose to acquire another superstar.
According to NBA Analysis Network, the Lakers could theoretically get Beal for a package featuring guards Kentavious-Caldwell Pope and Dennis Schroder, forward Kyle Kuzma, and a first-round selection from the 2022 and 2027 drafts. This deal, as pointed out, might require the involvement of a third team to make everything work, as the Wizards would normally only be able to get two of the three Lakers included in the offer due to “financial restrictions.”
With that in mind, the publication suggested that Washington could send youngsters such as Jerome Robinson, Moritz Wagner, and Troy Brown Jr. to the third club if they want to keep all the three Lakers role players.
As shown on his Basketball-Reference player page, Beal is currently leading the entire league in scoring with 34.9 points per game while averaging 5.3 rebounds, five assists, and 1.4 steals. He is also shooting well so far, converting on 49.4 percent of his field-goal attempts and 37.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. However, the 27-year-old is playing for a Wizards team that is second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with a 3-8 record, and could potentially ask to be moved if the losing continues in the lead-up to the March 25 trade deadline.
“He is exactly the kind of player that would fit in perfectly next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis not just because of his pure scoring abilities, but because of his willingness to win,” NBA Analysis Network wrote. “If Bradley Beal is to be traded to Los Angeles, it would be because he requested a trade and the only reason he will do that is because of him getting tired of losing.”
Although it wasn’t mentioned how Schroder, Caldwell-Pope, and Kuzma might contribute to the Wizards if the theoretical transaction becomes a reality, all three have been producing solidly for the Lakers and averaging double figures in scoring. Schroder, who was acquired in the 2020 offseason from the Oklahoma City Thunder, is averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, while Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope are respectively putting up 10.9 and 10.1 points per game as of this writing, per Basketball-Reference.
