NBA Rumors: GSW Could Assemble ‘All-In Trade Package’ To Acquire Bradley Beal From Wizards
Since losing Klay Thompson to a season-ending injury, the Golden State Warriors are rumored to be active on the trade market, searching for another star to help Stephen Curry and Draymond Green carry the team this season. Though they are currently buried deep in the luxury tax hell, the Warriors have a plethora of trade assets that they could use to engage in a blockbuster deal before the 2021 trade deadline. One of the top targets for Golden State is All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards.
The Wizards haven’t made Beal available on the trading block, but if they continue to lose games this season, the All-Star shooting guard is expected to demand a trade from Washington. If Beal and the Wizards decide to head in different directions, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer believes that the Warriors are among the teams that could assemble an “all-in trade package” to acquire him.
“Golden State checks two boxes for this kind of deal. It can form a Big Three with Beal, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green that would immediately contend for a title and give Washington a fair return. The trade would be built around two pieces as good as any the Wizards could get around the league: James Wiseman, the no. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, and a future first-round pick from the Timberwolves, who have the third-worst record in the NBA this season. That pick, which the Warriors received in the Andrew Wiggins trade, is top-three protected in 2021 and unprotected in 2022.”
The Warriors would likely have to pay big to convince the Wizards to send Beal to Golden State. However, sacrificing James Wiseman and some of their most precious draft assets would definitely be worth it for the Warriors if it means acquiring Beal. Pairing Curry and Green with Beal would enable them to create a “Big Three” that would increase their chances of reclaiming their throne and reviving their dynasty this year.
Though he’s not a defensive specialist like Thompson, Beal is more than capable of filling the huge hole left on the offensive end of the floor. He would give the Warriors a very reliable scoring option next to Curry, as well as a decent playmaker and an elite three-point shooter. This season, the 27-year-old shooting guard is averaging 35.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Beal may not have said so publicly, but he would likely love a fresh start. Instead of being stuck on a mediocre team like the Wizards, it would be best for him to spend his prime playing for a franchise with a realistic chance of winning a championship title.
