5 wildly unrealistic Lakers trade ideas you’re going to hear a lot this summer

Bradley Beal – Washington Wizards

Here’s another superstar that’s in a non-traditional NBA market that has been the subject of trade rumors for years. He’s much closer to moving teams than Lillard, although one might still move before the other. Beal has said he’s not signing a new deal right now. He wanted more money, and he could be eligible for that this summer.

Beal’s situation is complicated. He could technically become a free agent this offseason if he really wanted. He has a player option that he’s expected to sign, and he even said in March he’s leaning toward staying with the Wizards. However, we’ve seen things change in an instant.

Beal would be a fit for the Lakers, which makes sense why they would put him in trade rumors. This is another situation where the team would need to say goodbye to Russell Westbrook. Then, they would probably need to give Beal the max contract he’s looking for. That costs them around $246 million for five seasons. In case you’re curious, it would cost the Lakers $179 million over four seasons if Beal decides to leave in free agency. This is why it’s almost a guarantee that Beal is going to re-sign. It brings him an extra $65 million for just one more year’s work.

The Lakers will have a lot of competition for Beal’s services on the trade market. The Knicks would get involved, and we could see some quiet teams like the Spurs or Celtics getting involved as well. The competition will be fierce, and the Lakers just don’t have the pieces to make a deal work.