4 young stars the Wizards should trade Bradley Beal for

The Wizards should trade for Jordan Poole

On the surface, there isn’t a huge difference in trading Bradley Beal for a package centered around Jordan Poole and one centered around Tyler Herro. Both are quick, ball-handling guards who can score at all three levels and shoot from distance. Herro is more efficient, Poole is more versatile with his shot, and both are poor defenders.

The difference in the two right now is that Poole just played terribly in the playoffs, while Herro was injured and so didn’t tarnish his name as much. One might be tempted to say neither could survive in the playoffs…except both have done so, Herro as a part of the Heat’s run to the Finals in 2020 and Poole as a key member of a title-winning team in 2022.

What is intriguing about a deal for Poole is that the Warriors would need to attach salary to match Beal’s contract, and unless they deal Klay Thompson (who makes basically the same amount as Beal, and who the Wizards would have no interest in) they have to send back positive value. One such construction would include both Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody; another would be Gary Payton II and Patrick Baldwin Jr. (and probably a first). Both deals give the Wizards young talent to add to their core, or with Payton a valuable veteran to flip elsewhere at the Trade Deadline.

Bradley Beal is not a superstar hitting the market; with his large contract and his no-trade clause, the Wizards aren’t going to get a king’s ransom in return. There are certainly some interesting young stars out there, however, and the trade offers rolling in across the coming days will give the Wizards the chance to start out their rebuild in style.