NBA Trade Rumors: Golden State Warriors looked at acquiring 3x All-Star in a sign-and-trade
Western Conference powerhouse the Golden State Warriors contemplated making a move for Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards a couple of years ago.
According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Warriors general manager Bob Myers was keen on adding another superstar to the roster. The goal was to help appease Steph Curry and continue winning games.
This came after Kevin Durant had left the Warriors and the franchise was seemingly going nowhere with a major injury to Klay Thompson. Shelburne said:
"Myers nodded and told Curry he promised to ‘get it right.' The easiest way to do that would’ve been to sign or trade for an established star to pair with Curry, Thompson and Green.
"The Warriors did explore those options, sources said, most notably surrounding Washington’s Bradley Beal."
Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards have been heading in no particular direction over the last couple of years.
Bradley Beal is at a crossroads at this point in his career. He has a big decision to make in the summer about his future and whether it lies with the team from the nation's capital or elsewhere.
Report: Warriors explored idea of pairing Bradley Beal with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green ahnfiredigital.com/nba/golden-sta…
Should the Golden State Warriors have made a move for Beal?
Bradley Beal has been putting up very good numbers over the last couple of years. However, he doesn't have much to show for in the postseason with the franchise. This could have been very different had the Golden State Warriors acquired him.
Beal is on a massive contract, as he has earned well over $30 million per year over the last two seasons. Acquiring him from the Wizards would have only been possible via trade, as his contract expires only in 2023.
This would have meant that the Warriors would have had to move someone like D'Angelo Russell and possibly a draft pick.
Jonathan Kuminga is the 4th teenager to score 18 points in a playoff game.
Kuminga joins Kobe Bryant (3x), Tony Parker (3x), and Carmelo Anthony (2x). https://t.co/RrM0NtwXpN
In reality, Russell was eventually traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins. More importantly, the Warriors got the number seven overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. This was used to land Jonathan Kuminga, who has been highly touted to be a future All-Star for the Warriors.
The acquisition of Wiggins instead of Beal has helped the Warriors as he is a much better defender than Beal.
This also helped the Warriors nurture someone like Jordan Poole with valuable minutes to help him reach the level he has attained this year. The Warriors were also able to land Kuminga, who is a huge part of the future of the franchise.
With all that said, it was a good move for the Golden State Warriors to avoid acquiring Beal and instead landed Wiggins and Kuminga.