New Orleans Pelicans: 3 Teams with the Best Chance to Land Beal
Three teams have reportedly been in the mix for All-Star Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, including the New Orleans Pelicans. Which of these teams is the most likely to land Beal, and how likely is any potential trade for the guard?
The New Orleans Pelicans are in a position to make a big splash, but will they?
On a recent episode of the Load Management podcast, Shams Charania reported that there were three teams that had registered interest in Wizards’ guard Bradley Beal at some point during the 2019-20 season.
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While registering interest does not indicate that any deal is remotely close, it is quite interesting that three teams in particular were name-dropped: the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans. Let’s take an in-depth look at what these three teams have to offer and rank their likelihood of landing the two-time All-Star.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
The most important thing to remember when it comes to any deal for Beal is that any team acquiring him must be willing to part with a good amount of assets and able to match his $28.7 million contract for 2020-21.
The Lakers would not have an issue matching salary but the team severely lacks young assets thanks to the acquisition of Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.
The young talent on the Lakers’ roster for 2020-21 includes forward Kyle Kuzma, guard Talen Horton-Tucker and…well, that’s it. Los Angeles is also lacking in the draft pick department, having sent away their 2021 first round pick that is top-eight protected (almost assuredly conveying to New Orleans), a first round pick-swap in 2023 that leaves the Lakers with the worst of the two picks and an unprotected 2024 first round pick, which can be deferred to 2025.
This leaves the trade package for Beal looking somewhat like Kuzma, Horton-Tucker, guard Danny Green, guard Quinn Cook, guard Alex Caruso and two or three draft picks. This is assuming the Lakers acquire Beal over the offseason, as opposed to during the season.
The projected trade in question is less than desirable for the Wizards, who have a great blend of young talent and veterans that could push them to the playoffs next season.
On top of this, Beal signing the extension with Washington at the beginning of the 2019-20 season indicates his loyalty to the franchise and its returned loyalty towards the uber-talented guard. This means it would take an extra sweet deal to cause the Wizards to move Beal, and nothing the Lakers can offer the Wizards even comes close to that.
One thing the Lakers could wish for to boost their odds is to somehow draft a prospect the Wizards love in this draft (unlikely due to the Lakers position behind the Wizards) and that Beal demands a trade to the Lakers. This is all hypothetical and as it stands the Lakers have the worst trade package of the three teams Charania mentioned.