LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers Among Those Interested in Acquiring Bradley Beal
The LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are both among the top teams in the Western Conference and the NBA, but there's always room for improvement.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers and Lakers — among other top-tier contenders — "would love to get involved" in a potential deal to acquire Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal.
The frustrated star has not yet formally requested a trade, and Wojnarowski reported that rival teams don't necessarily feel that the Wizards are ready to make the deal. However, Washington currently sits at 3-11 — the worst record in the league — despite Beal averaging a league-best 35.4 points per game this season. At some point, it seems like those tensions may boil over.
As likely as that is, though, it doesn't seem at all likely that either the Clippers or Lakers will be able to bring him in.
Beal is making roughly $29 million this season, and any package that gets offered to the Wizards will have to include a significant amount of draft compensation and promising, young talent. The Clippers and Lakers both lack these types of assets, especially after trading for Paul George and Anthony Davis, respectively, in 2019.
The idea of adding Beal to the Clippers is certainly an interesting one. A trio of Beal, George and Kawhi Leonard would be virtually unstoppable on the offensive side of the floor, and adding a third star of his caliber would instantly vault the Clippers to the top of the list of title contenders. It would also help them compete with the Brooklyn Nets, who pulled off a similar trade earlier this season to pair Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with James Harden, who successfully forced his way out of Houston.
That said, neither the Clippers nor the Lakers have looked like they've really needed a player like Beal so far this season. Both teams are tied for a league-best 14 wins and have long been favored to battle it out in the Western Conference Finals, regardless of whether they add another star or not.
George, Leonard, an impressive cast of role players and a championship coach is more than what the Clippers need to win a title. And during the offseason, the Lakers improved upon the team that won the Finals in 2020.
Adding Beal would definitely help, but it's not a realistic path that either team can take.
