While Bradley Beal dominates the Washington Wizards’ trade rumors, there’s another all-star guard that the team should consider trading.
Saying goodbye to John Wall, if they can find someone to take him in a trade, would be nice. However, the speculation is that the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to send their 1st round pick, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram to the Washington Wizards’ for Bradley Beal. Not for John Wall.
The chances of that happening are just like any other trade rumor floating around the NBA. Anything is possible. However, the Wizards shouldn’t be overly willing to trade a player like Bradley Beal who has averaged over 22 points in over 160 games over the last two years. And he’s just 25.
However, if the Wizards can trade John Wall and Troy Brown Jr to the Lakers and still get their 1st round pick, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, then that is an obvious win for this organization. The fact that they wouldn’t give up their 1st round pick in this year’s draft would be huge.
John Walls’ contract has had this organization strangled by the throat after they agreed to a four-year, $170 million contract that will begin in the 2019-2020 season. In order to trade that contract, they will need to find a team willing to take on that much money for that many years.
If there is a team that is willing and able to take on that type of contract, it is the Lakers. If the Wizards can get rid of Wall’s contract and just pay him the dead money they would owe him, then do it and move on.
If the Wizards wind up with the 4th and 9th pick in the 1st round of this years NBA Draft, boy will all Wizards fans be happy. The fact that they would have a chance to replace Wall the same year he is traded and not have to give up Beal, along with picking again in the top-10, would ake this trade the best two for one deal Washington has ever pulled off.
The Wizards may end up with Ball included in the deal, which I hope they don’t, he can be used as trade leverage in 2020. My problem with Ball in DC isn’t with him as much as it is with his father, Lavar Ball. The headache he caused the Lakers organization when he was drafted and the trouble he got into during his first year with the team isn’t something the Wizards need while trying to rebuild for the future.
Plus, who knows how he’ll start acting once his son is forced to a new city and there’s no more LeBron James to put him in his place.