Has anyone seen rumors of what the Wizards would want for Beal? After seeing them salary dump Otto Porter for Jabari and Bobby Portis, I would be calling the Wizards every half hour if I were the Lakers, Celtics and others.
Would Lonzo and Josh Hart work? That leaves Ingram and the #4 for Davis.
Would Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown work?
If Beal is available, he's got to be a more interesting deal than over-paying for AD, right?
The first problem is the Wizards still don't have a GM. So there's no one to accept the call at the moment.
After that, the new GM needs to decide on one of two courses with Beal:
1) Trade him now, when his value is very high and he has two years left on his contract.
2) Keep himl until the Wizards get a look at how John Wall returns from injury.
In my opinion, the second option makes more sense. The Wizards can't just trade Beal and gun for a full rebuild--the four super-max years on John Wall's contract would inhibit any rebuild in that time. Can't clean slate until that contract is nearing completion. So IMO you might as well wait a year, see if there are signs Wall can return, and try to play them together in the last year of Beal's contract. If it works then the Wizards can compete for the playoffs in 2021 and go from there. If Wall's return isn't looking good, then you can make the Beal trade (and admittedly get less in return because Beal is closer to being a free agent), but you're also shortening your wait time on Wall's contract by a year.
That's how I would handle it. But if forced into scenario 1 of trading Beal now, I would want to maximize assets for 3-4 years from now. That means guys with only a year or two on their current contract are not as attractive. Sign & trades work better, as would a stockpile of draft picks for 2021-2023.
^ bad teams get to be bad teams (e.g. Wizards) by being poor at assessing talent...so I question if they can somehow become excel the trade front, but we'll see. Yeah, if I were looking for a deal (e.g. Beal) calling the Wizards might be fruitful.
To be fair, I think most all of the Wiz issues can be traced to their now ex-GM Ernie Grunfeld who was woeful (at best) from a drafting standpoint. I can't recall a guy besides Wall or Beal who has worked out (and you could certainly argue that Wall *hasn't* worked out as he's really only had one all-nba caliber season and now the team is locked into paying him like a all-nba player for multiple years).
If they bring in the right guy, and can leverage Beal into multiple expiring contracts and compile draft picks looking towards the end of Wall's contract, they could be set up for success.... in about 4-5 years.
Add Otto to players that worked. But then they salary dumped him? It seemed like a panic move post-Wall injury.
So the question presents itself: Are they going to continue the fire sale and trade Beal for young assets?
If so, I would think the price would be at its highest right now, with two years left on his contract and pre-draft. I'd offer him up for guys on rookie deals and draft picks. Might as well develop talent while John Wall holds you hostage.
Wiz fans have largely given up on Wall returning to All-Star form. Too many injuries to his lower body and too little growth in his game. He peaked in 2016 or so and they recognized it (but ownership didnt).
Is a team with Davis, LeBron, and absolutely nobody else (ok, Kuzma I guess) a playoff team? They need to keep at least one of Ingram or the #4...ideally both.
One/two year contracts would be attractive if they want to have some cap freedom in a couple years.
Interesting trade for Duke fans!
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26981805/lakers-reach-deal-pelicans-davis
Brandon to the Pelicans?
What advice does K give 'em, besides ignoring the Big Bawlers...
-jk
Ingram Ball and 4th pick in this years draft to pelicans for Anthony Davis.
Now trade Lonzo, Hart, and number 4 and get number 2 or 3 for Barrett. Zion number 1... Would be worth flying to New Orleans multiple times a year!
Woj says Lakers made a deal to get Anthony Davis. Brandon Ingram to Pelicans with other players and many draft picks -- including the #4 this year.
Sources: Lakers reach deal for Pelicans' Davis
4:39 PM MT
Adrian WojnarowskiESPN
The New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to a deal to trade Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks -- including the No. 4 overall selection in next week's draft, league sources tell ESPN.
The deal represents a monster haul for the Pelicans and David Griffin, their new executive vice president of basketball operations, who maximized the Davis trade without the need to include a third team.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
Seems like too much to me, I guess the proof will be in the pudding next season.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
Link to the Woj Bomb.
This is bittersweet. I finally get to root for Brandon Ingram, but it feels wrong separating an overrated, mostly irrelevant player (Lonzo Ball) from an equally overrated, mostly irrelevant franchise (LA Lakers). Lonzo, keep all Big Baller shoe samples out of the Pelicans locker room. I don't want those anywhere near Zion.The Pelicans have agreed to a deal to trade Anthony Davis to the Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks – including the No. 4 overall in 2019 Draft, league sources tell ESPN.
Zion, The Oak, Jackson and Ingram...looks like I will be rooting for the Pelicans....
Kyle gets BUCKETS!
https://youtu.be/NJWPASQZqLc