Does this trade make sense for the Washington Wizards?
In the grand scheme of things, yes this trade makes complete sense for the Wizards, but no, this trade also does not make sense for the Wizards. Washington would be getting a ton of assets, as well as freeing up a ton of cap space by making this trade, putting them in a better long-term position, but they would be getting rid of Bradley Beal who is one of the best scorers in the league right now. For this reason is why this trade does not make sense for the Wizards.
When Washington traded for Russell Westbrook at the beginning of the year, they did not do so as a “one-year trial” with both him and Beal. They want to keep these guys together for a while and given how dynamic they were together this year, all this team needs to do is surround them with more talent.
READ MORE: NBA Trade Rumors: 5 most likely stars to be traded in the offseason
Both Westbrook and Beal both have hefty price tags, as they account for just under $80M in cap space combined, but there are ways that Washington can better their team without having to move on from one of their superstars.
Players like Russ and Beal do not come around everyday, which is why Washington should not be so eager to split them up yet. We saw what they can do when they are fully healthy, as they were able to make the playoffs, and if this team can add a third star or even just a bunch of role players, then they will be in a much better position than they were this year.
Getting Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane, Brandon Clarke and a key rookie would be huge for Washington, especially since they would still have Westbrook, but this team would look a lot like the Thunder teams from a few years back when Russell Westbrook was the only star on the team.
Trading away Bradley Beal would be a waste for the Wizards because this move would set them back even though they are getting a ton of future talent. This team is built to win now with Westbrook and Beal being in the primes of their careers, which is why they need to be “buying” talent instead of trying to “sell” high.