2024-05-08 21:32:26
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ pursuit of a third star to connect with LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be one of the biggest storylines of the offseason around the league. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report listed a surprising name Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Sunswrites that the Lakers are one of three “best new fits”.
A key piece for a Western Conference contender, Beal averaged 31.3 points in the 20202-21 season. Swartz wrote that the Lakers might use his scoring to help take pressure off James.
One sticking point with the addition of Beal is his no-trade clause in his contract. Beal has the right to veto any trade he is a part of.
“Beal’s contract is going to be tough to move, especially since he still has a no-trade clause,” Swartz wrote. “However, the three-time All-Star is still arguably a top-five shooting guard in the league who can help teams that need to score.”
Eastern Conference executive calls Bradley Beal’s contract ‘toxic debt’
Beal’s five-year, $251 million contract is a hefty price for any team, as he has a cap hit of $50.2 million through the 2024-25 season. With the new CBA restricting teams, Beal’s contract has stymied the Phoenix Suns’ ability to add quality role players to their big three.
According to Fox Sports’ Ric Bucher, an Eastern Conference executive believes the Suns “need to move” Beal’s contract.
“Taking the swing to acquire him was not without justification,” said the exec said. “But Beal is now toxic debt. You have to move on before Book and KD demand trades and you lose leverage in the market.”
The contract price and no-trade clause is something the Los Angeles Lakers will have to think regarding, as Beal was not the answer in his first season for the Suns.
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report listed every NBA team’s biggest regret this season, writing that the Phoenix’s biggest regret was trading for Beal.
“Anyone who thought regarding adding a third player (at the expense of roster depth and balance) to a team that already had two elite bucket players nodded very smugly as Phoenix posted the NBA’s worst fourth-quarter plus achieved /minus while playing some really uninspiring “your turn, my turn” offense,” Hughes wrote in an April 16 story.
How Bradley Beal would help the Lakers
Beal had his worst season since 2015-16, averaging just 18.2 points per game. However, it was the most efficient scoring season he had in his career in terms of percentages.
Beal’s shots per game were down drastically, taking nearly 10 fewer shots per game than he did when he averaged 31.3 during that 2020-21 season. Despite his shooting attempts taking a hit, he shot 51.3% from the field on 13.9 attempts per game and 43.0% from three-point range on 4.4 attempts per game.
If he can increase his volume to his typical days in Washington, with more than 19.5 shots and 5.5 three-pointers per game, he might potentially score 25-plus a night.
If the Los Angeles Lakers the Washington Wizards Beal, they will add one of the top scorers in basketball.
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