NBA Rumors: 5 prospects and trades Warriors must target with No. 7 pick
By John Buhler
4. Trade No. 7 overall pick in deal for Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal
One player who could be on the trading block is Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal. While he has been more closely tied to the Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Lakers more than anything, Beal would provide the star power and the shooting to help the Warriors get back into the thick of things in the deep Western Conference. Trading for him will be pricey, though.
Dealing for Beal will cost the Warriors at the very least their No. 7 pick by way of Minnesota, their own pick at No. 14 and probably Wiggins and last year’s No. 2 overall pick in James Wiseman. Washington would probably ask for future draft compensation in the hopes to build a “winner” around Russell Westbrook as their lone star player. Beal may be dealt, but he will not come cheap.
While trading for a perennial All-Star would give the Warriors the big three it needs to get back into the Western Conference conversation, it will be a clunky fit with him in the same backcourt as Curry and Thompson. We know Beal can thrive off-ball, but Thompson will be further marginalized and would have to play a bit more of the three than he probably would want to coming off injuries.
Trading for Beal makes the Warriors better in the short-term, but they could land a better player.