At the 2018-19 NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers attempted to trade the young core and draft picks for Anthony Davis and salary cap relief to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Since the Pelicans wanted to wait until the 2019 NBA Draft in hopes of getting better offers, both teams actually benefited as they landed the No. 1 pick while the Lakers landed the No. 4 pick. However, despite the opportunity to play with Zion Williamson, Davis’ stance on the trade request has not changed.
As a result, the Lakers are expected to pursue Davis again, but the Pelicans reportedly do not want to trade him to Los Angeles.
If this remains the case, the Lakers reportedly could target Bradley Beal via trade, according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News:
The Lakers have other players they’re targeting in trades, according to league sources. Chief among them is Wizards guard Bradley Beal, though with the Wizards not yet hiring a front office honcho, no decision has been made whether to trade Beal. But LA will be in position to make an attractive offer if Beal is put on the block.
With the Lakers looking to win now, this is not the first time Beal has been mentioned as a potential second All-Star player alongside LeBron James, according to Chris Sheridan of Get More Sports:
A number of trade options are being considered by Lakers executives Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, and names that are being bandied about include Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, and John Wall … among others.
As the Wizards are currently looking for a new president of basketball operations, one of his/her first decisions will be if they want to continue building around Beal and John Wall or start a rebuilding process. With Beal eligible for a supermax contract extension if he makes a 2018-19 All-NBA team, Wall is set to begin his four-year, $170 million contract extension as he recovers from Achilles surgery.
With the Wizards not finding much success in the NBA playoffs, it could present an opportunity for the Lakers. Armed with the young core, No. 4 pick, and a max-contract slot, the Lakers have numerous options like Beal to significantly improve the roster around LeBron James heading into Year 2.
Although there is a certain perception about Beal, he showed more of an all-around game once Wall suffered his season-ending injury. Appearing in all 82 games during the 2018-19 NBA season, Beal averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in 36.9 minutes.