The Bradley Beal trade offers are swirling around the Washington Wizards again but is anybody offering enough for the league’s second-leading scorer?
Even during a suspended season, Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards cannot escape the trade rumors.
As reported by the New York Daily News, the Brooklyn Nets have discussed making a move for Bradley Beal. The framework for the trade would likely be Beal for a package consisting of Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, and a few first-round picks.
This trade scenario, while not the worst we have seen for Beal, still does not really favor the Wizards. Here at WoA, our site expert Ethan Smith dove into why this trade scenario would not do a whole lot for the Wiz, and this got me thinking:
When the front office, Beal’s agent, and Beal himself are all saying he’s staying put, what would it take for the Wizards to even pick up the phone in regards to moving Beal?
Over the past few seasons, we have seen a bevy of teams become interested in trading for the former Florida Gator. Trade packages are thought up and spit out, but up to this point, not one of them has been even remotely intriguing from the Wizards’ perspective.
Asset accumulation is important and teams understandably don’t like trading picks/young prospects. But if you think that the Wizards are going to trade a 26-year-old, two-time All-Star who is averaging over 30 points a game for nothing, you are nuts.
That isn’t a guarantee that they’ll never trade Beal, but right now, there are a few factors to consider in any possible deal.
Running it Back
So as we all know, the Washington Wizards front office has been vocal about the idea of running it back with Beal and Wall at least one more time. John Wall will be fully healthy and ready for the 2020-2021 season and has never really played with this version of Bradley Beal.
The Wizards will do what they can to re-sign Davis Bertans this offseason and use the mid-level exception to bring in an impact role player to add to their bench depth. They also will have a lottery pick in the 2020 draft who, if things fall their way, could be an interesting contributor from day one.
So while the rest of the league thinks they should blow things up, Wizards front office seems to be fully comfortable with competing for a playoff spot next year with Beal running the show, Wall being his running mate, and Bertans, Rui Hachimura and the rest of this young core filling out the rotation.
If that’s the strategy, Beal gives them their best chance of competing right now. So the likelihood of Beal getting moved before the summer of 2021 seems to be slim..
Trade Comparisons
However, nothing is ever certain in the NBA. Over the last few seasons, player movement has been at an all-time high. So let’s take a look at the two recent blockbuster trades, what their returns were, and what that means for a Beal deal.
The first trade is the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks.
If we break this down, the New Orleans Pelicans wound up with two young players who have the potential to be stars (maybe superstars), in Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, a quality young role player in Hart, and three first-round picks.
The way that Ingram and Ball have played thus far in New Orleans, this trade seems to have benefited both teams. The Pelicans have one of the brightest futures in the league and the Lakers (assuming AD re-signs) will be able to compete for championships until Lebron James decides to retire. Maybe after, too.
The other trade is the one that sent Paul George to the LA Clippers in exchange for Shai Gilegeous-Alexander, Danillo Gallinari, FIVE first-round picks, and two pick swaps.
This trade is a little different as far as the type of assets, however, the accumulation of said assets is still on par. The Oklahoma City Thunder received one player who has the potential to be a star/superstar in SGA (who is younger than Ball and Ingram) and five firsts to keep adding around him.
The Thunder now have their franchise guy, and with all of these picks, will be able to build around him for the next few seasons. The Clippers got a two-way star in his prime who, next to Kawhi Leonard, will be able to compete for championships for years. Everybody (to an extent) is happy (for now).
Now, I do understand that Bradley Beal may not be in the same tier as Anthony Davis or Paul George (yet), but he is not that far off. Beal might not fetch quite as much as these stars did, but the return would need to be close. It would need to truly be a franchise-changing amount of assets.
But as we’ve seen with Davis and George, superstars can get traded and both teams can win. So far, most Beal packages look one-sided with the Wizards losing.
To move Beal, the Wizards need to be handed a “Godfather” deal. Something so good, they simply cannot refuse.
What’s the Word?
To even entertain the idea of trading Beal right now, the Wizards need a “Godfather” deal. And given how vocal they are about keeping Beal in D.C., even that might not do it.
The Pelicans received two young stars and three picks for Anthony Davis. The Thunder received one young star and five picks. More important than the total number of assets, though, is that both of these teams received foundational pieces that they can use moving forward.
That is what the Wizards need to be offered if Beal is going anywhere; a building block, and preferably more than one.
To that end, this trade would need to be a much higher degree than the ones that have been rumored.
A young wing in Denver drafted one pick before Troy Brown comes to mind as a possibility. Brandon Ingram is another one who would be interesting if New Orleans decides they do not want to pay him. If you look, there are teams that have what it takes to get Beal. But that’s no guarantee they want to offer those pieces up.
Prior to Beal signing his extension, I was pro-trading Beal. However, since seeing some of the potential deals that teams may offer, the Wizards would be getting fleeced.
It takes two to tango.