NBA Trade Rumors - Why LA Lakers must go after Bradley Beal in their endeavor to add a third star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis
The Washington Wizards are among the franchises that are not in great shape in the league right now, with the team sitting closer to the bottom than to the top. Despite this, though, their 27-year-old star Bradley Beal has only improved with every season he has played, growing into a dominant player. But with the Washington Wizards underperforming, several NBA trade rumors have reported that Bradley Beal is unhappy with his current situation and has been the subject of interest from several franchises from across the NBA, with the LA Lakers being the biggest name that has been linked to him.
With their win over Miami Heat last Sunday, LA Lakers tied their arch-rivals Boston Celtics for most NBA Championships won. This offseason, teams around the league will be looking to reconstruct their rosters in order to compete with the juggernaut of LeBron James and Anthony Davis that blew through the Western Conference in 2019-20 NBA Playoffs.
With other contenders reloading ahead of next season, it's crucial that LA Lakers don't rest on their laurels rather attack the trade and free-agency market in search for maybe that elusive third star to partner up with the superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
With all that in mind, lets take a look at why Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal would be a perfect fit for the LA Lakers.
NBA Trade Rumors: Bradley Beal could provide that threat from behind the arc that LA Lakers are missing
While Danny Green may be a 3-time NBA Champion, the player has been declining rapidly throughout the 2019-20 season. Even though the 33-year-old was brought in to be a 'Three-and-D' player for the team, his shooting from behind the arc has disappointed on too many occasions, contributing to LA Lakers' having no reliable threat from outside the arc.
Bradley Beal could be a serious upgrade on Green, with the player being much younger at 27 and having already displayed his ability to make timely shots when the team has needed it the most.
His shooting from behind the arc has also been impressive. Despite most of his three-pointers being unassisted, Bradley Beal is still shooting 35.3% from behind the arc.
Considering how many players struggle with efficiency under similar circumstances, Bradey Beal's skills and talent make him very a attractive prospect for the LA Lakers.
NBA Trade Rumors: Bradley Beal could be the LA Laker's 3rd star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis
As great as he is, the LA Lakers can't always expect LeBron James to bail out the franchise whenever the rest of the roster underperforms. Even though players like KCP, Alex Caruso and Rajon Rondo performed above expectations in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, there were many moments, when the team looked at LeBron James to shoulder majority of the scoring responsibility.
The acquisition of Bradley Beal would not only ease the load on LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it would also give the franchise a 3rd star who can be relied on in pressure situations.
Bradley Beal has shown the tenacity and the ability to lead a team through tough phases, especially on offense. With defense not being a problem on the LA Lakers, Beal could take over when needed to, and throw punches against the best that the league has to offer, and could repair any chinks in the armor that very visible in intervals in the Orlando bubble.
With Golden State Warriors looking to regain the lost ground and others like Brooklyn Nets and LA Clippers working around the clock to make a name for themselves in the league, the LA Lakers will be well advised to not sit on their laurels.
A move for Bradley Beal will require some adjustments on the roster, however, if Rob Pelinka can manage to open up the right amount of cap space, moving for the Washington Wizards star should be a no brainer.
Also Read: NBA Trade Rumors: LA Lakers' Kyle Kuzma on multiple teams' radar, Miami Heat should be careful while chasing Giannis Antetokoumpo