The Los Angeles Lakers will surely look to have a big offseason, as the franchise looks to turn things around following a disastrous 2021-22 NBA campaign. After entering last season as perceived titled contenders, the Lakers couldn’t even play well enough to qualify for the play-in tournament.
One superstar that was recently mentioned in relation to the Lakers is Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.
“The one name that I’ve heard recently is Bradley Beal as another guy that they want. I’m not sure if the interest is as mutual. You know Beal, it seems like Miami would be more of a threat to take him away from Washington. I don’t think you can also rule out Boston either because of his relationship with Jason Tatum, but the Lakers are trying to angle for some moves like that using the Russ expiring [contract] and the ’27 and the ’29 firsts,” O’Connor said.
Adding Bradley Beal to a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis could be a much better fit than what they have right now with Russell Westbrook. Teams would be forced to play much tighter against Beal around the three-point line, since he is a much better shooter than Westbrook.
Beal only played in 40 games last season after injuring his wrist midway through the season, but in those 40 games he averaged 23.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per contest.
Over the last few seasons, the Lakers have decimated their trade assets to pick up players like Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. The team has a new coaching staff after firing Frank Vogel and it should be noted that LeBron James is still a superstar, but he is also 37-years-old.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Earlier this month, the Lakers front office was reported to be opposed to adding draft capital to any potential deal to move on from Westbrook’s contract. According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the team was steadfast in their commitment to holding onto their future picks.
“The Lakers continue to signal — at least for now with three months to go until training camp opens — that they do not want to force a Westbrook trade that costs them additional assets. Regarding the long-running idea that Westbrook could be swapped again for Houston’s John Wall, since both would be making near-identical $47 million salaries next season, one source briefed on the situation told me this week that Houston’s interest has always been predicated on the Lakers including draft compensation to sweeten the deal, which L.A. steadfastly refuses to do,” Stein reported on June 10.
Both Beal and Westbrook have player options for the upcoming season on their contracts.
