As the NBA trade season starts to brew, Washington Wizards stars John Wall and Bradley Beal have been made available in the trade market. Will the Los Angeles Lakers sweep in and trade for Wall or Beal to add a second star alongside LeBron James?
The Washington Wizards have made everyone on their roster available in trades as they have had a horrific start to the 2018 season. This was reported on November 19th, by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The tides have seemed to change a bit due to the Wizards recent acquisition of Trevor Ariza in a trade with the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers. This does not seem like a move a team would make — certainly not one that has aspirations of a rebuild, as Trevor Ariza is a player who adds a veteran presence, ability to shoot the three, defend multiple positions, and help the team win now. That being said, will the Los Angeles Lakers ever come in and trade for one of Washington's star players?
The Los Angeles Lakers currently hold the four seed (18-12) in the Western Conference and are two games behind the Denver Nuggets for first place. There have been talks all year on getting LeBron James a second star out in LA to help improve the team and make a playoff run in a seemingly open (besides Golden State) Western Conference. John Wall and Bradley Beal have been rumored to be traded and LA has come up in all of those talks in the idea of adding that second star to play alongside LeBron.
John Wall
John Wall's name has floated around as a potential trade target for the Los Angeles Lakers since the Wizards made it clear all players on the roster were open in trades. LeBron and Wall share the same agent in Rich Paul, and LeBron has failed to attract free agents to LA since he made his decision back in July. Stars like Kevin Durant have said that playing with LeBron is tough due to harsh media criticism playing alongside him. LeBron needs veteran help with this young team and some seem to think Wall could help.
Would Magic Johnson ever trade for John Wall? No. John Wall will not be a Laker. Here's why:
1. John Wall's contract
John Wall's contract extension is set to begin in the 2019-2020 season. The extension is 4 years/$169 million. Wall will start by getting $37 million next season and it will gradually increase to $46.8 million in the 2022-23 season. This is a hefty contract and many think Wall is not deserving of this money.
If the Lakers want to win championships, they will need to have multiple stars, which will likely take up max contracts. John Wall is not a guy who plays to the worth of his contract. If traded, Wall would be the highest paid player on the team, exceeding LeBron James' 4 year/$153 million deal. No team would accept this contract with hopes to compete for a championship.
The Lakers have aspirations to win a championship with LeBron James before he retires and there is no way bringing in John Wall would help the cause. Wall's hefty contract would limit the Lakers spending on other marquee free agents. Having two max-players is only worth it when they are All-NBA caliber players, and John Wall just isn't that.
2. John Wall's fit with LeBron James
It is apparent that the best set of players to have around for LeBron to succeed are shooters and a center who can set picks and move without the ball. John Wall has a pass-first mentality just like LeBron James and that has not worked out in the past. The Lakers would not be wise to pair these two players, as Wall would not play to his potential without the ball in his hands.
John Wall's gifts are centered around his ability to set up teammates to score. With LeBron on your team, the ball is in his hands the majority of the time. In turn, Wall would need to be able to score off of spot ups and slashing to the basket. That just is not Wall's game and that is not how a team could get the best out of him.
As we have seen this season, a playmaking guard in Lonzo Ball has struggled on offense to find his place. Wall, even though he is a slightly better shooter from deep (32.5 percent career three-point shooter) than Lonzo, would struggle in finding an efficient role alongside LeBron.
The Lakers have multiple reasons as to why John Wall is not a good fit in LA. A trade for Wall would result in them giving up assets to acquire him and that just will not happen. Wall's contract outweighs his play and the fit alongside LeBron are just a few reasons why a trade to Los Angeles will not happen.
Bradley Beal
Bradley Beal is the Wizards' best trade asset. Beal's style of play can fit in with any team due to his ability to shoot, space the floor, and score at will. His contract is very valuable in today's max-contract world with Beal having 3 years/$81 million remaining on his contract. Beal is the perfect player to pair alongside LeBron James and if the Lakers can put together a viable package for Beal, it would set up the Lakers for contention in the west.
Beal would thrive in an offense with LeBron. James can set his teammates up like no other, and Beal could find his spot and just unload from deep at will. This dream fit can only happen if there is a trade in place that would benefit the Wizards. The Lakers have the pieces to make a trade, they just have to see how much they are willing to give up to acquire the 25-year-old sharpshooter.
The market for a player like Beal is very competitive, so the Lakers would have to put together a deal that would blow the Wizards away. With the recent acquisition of Trevor Ariza, the idea that the Wizards will rebuild and trade their All-Star has seemed to die down a bit, but a compelling offer could make the Wizards rethink their teams' future.
With Bradley Beal's style, age (only 25), and favorable contract, the Lakers can definitely fit Beal into their long-term plans to pursue an NBA title. Is the price for Beal too high that trading for him would dismantle a solid LA team right now and thin the Lakers depth long-term?
Here is a potential Bradley Beal Lakers trade:
Los Angeles Lakers receive:
Bradley Beal
Jeff Green
Thomas Bryant
Washington Wizards receive:
Brandon Ingram
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kyle Kuzma
Michael Beasley
This trade would result in the Lakers giving up two of their young players in Kuzma and Ingram. Ingram has struggled to find a role on this Lakers squad and giving up Kuzma as well would need to occur to acquire a 25-year-old all-star.
The Lakers have struggled to get marquee free agents, and from the sound of things, they may not have much luck this summer either. A blockbuster trade may be their only chance at landing a star. From Washington's point of view, they may want a pick to go along with this, as they will get other offers.
This trade could occur this season before the trade deadline if the Lakers are desperate for another star and the Wizards continue to struggle. I don't see a Beal to Lakers trade happening until this summer, at least most likely. If the Lakers cannot land anyone in free agency then trading for Beal would be a smart option for this team.
Overall, John Wall will not be traded to the Lakers and a deal for Bradley Beal may occur if the Wizards continue to struggle. Beal is the Wizards best trade asset and an LA trade for him would need to overwhelm the Washington front office in order for them to pull the trigger.
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