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Lakers rumors: John Wall nor Bradley Beal worth trading for

By Jason Reed

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 20: John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards and Bradley Beal #3 talk together during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on March 20, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 20: John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards and Bradley Beal #3 talk together during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on March 20, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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With reports that John Wall and Bradley Beal are potentially available in trade packages, the Lakers rumors surrounding the two men have begun to grow.

The Los Angeles Lakers are undoubtedly in the market for a second star whether that second star comes via trade or free agency next year. As a result, there have been to many Lakers rumors to follow about who the front office may be targeting next.

Initially, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard seemed to be the front-runners to join LeBron in LA. Damian Lillard even had a brief moment where he seemed like a logical trade target for LA.

Now, Klay Thompson seems like a more realistic fit and megastars such as Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis have also been thrown into the mix.

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You can add two more stars to the long list of Lakers rumors as both John Wall and Bradley Beal could potentially be on their way out of Washington.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Washington Wizards are willing to part ways with both stars in a trade package if it makes sense. Wojnarowski also wrote that the team was looking to add a third star in a deal centered Otto Porter or Kelly Oubre Jr. but gained no interest on the market.

If the Wizards cannot field a team that really can compete for an NBA Title, it makes sense to try and get rid of the superstars that also have massive contracts. It is better to be terrible and build with high draft picks than be mediocre and hopefully get lucky with a pick in the high teens or low 20s.

I mean, the last three times the Wizards had high picks they picked up Wall, Beal and Porter. While Porter was a bit high, the 2013 draft class stinks in hindsight with Victor Oladipo and Giannis Antetokounmpo being the only two stars.

Granted, those are two big names now in the NBA but Oladipo was picked second and just recently realized his potential in Indiana while nobody expected Antetokounmpo to be what he was as he went 15th in the draft.

Anyways, the Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as potential candidates for the two stars. While there is yet to be a report that guarantees the Lakers’ interest, there are natural reasons to see why the Lakers would want to make a deal.

The team is one star away from being legitimate NBA Finals contenders and with the cracks in the Warriors starting to show, this season might not be a learning process after all. It could be the first year of a dominating multi-year stretch.

And while the Lakers definitely need a second star, it should not be John Wall nor Bradley Beal. As intriguing as both guys are, it simply is not worth it.

First is the money. Wall’s four-year, $169 million contract kicks in next season and the Lakers would be paying him, on average, $42.3 million per year. It is absolutely asinine to pay that much for a point guard who ranks 10th in his position in PER (player efficiency rating) and has shown little reason to think he can be valuable around other stars.

Then there is Beal, who is under contract for two more seasons after this season and is owed $55.6 million over those two years. If I had to pick, I would rather the Lakers trade for Beal as he is cheaper and seems like he would be a logistical fit alongside LeBron.

However, I still do not think Beal is an elite shooting guard and would necessarily put the Lakers over the hump. Beal is the seventh-best shooting guard in the league in PER.

With these massive contracts, the Lakers would have to wait until Dec. 15 in order to include a contract like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the trade. It is the other pieces in the trade the Lakers would have to be wary about.

In order to get this deal done, the Lakers would have to trade Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram or Kyle Kuzma. Ball is the popular choice to be traded and could even end up in a deal if the price is right.

The price is not right for Beal or Wall. As bad as Ball has been scoring the basketball recently, he still has a ton of value on the trade market and in the right package could get a much better return than Washington has to offer.

This would be the classic case of the Lakers being impatient and getting a much worse deal when the team can wait it out, try their luck with Kevin Durant or even package a massive deal for Anthony Davis. THAT would be worth it.

Related Story. Is Lonzo Ball running out of slack?. light

So, as you hear more developments about John Wall and Bradley Beal just remember: the Lakers rumors around those two probably won’t ever come to fruition. It is not worth it.

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