NBA Insider Believes Price of Potential Laker Target Could Be Low

What would it take for LA to get him?

It's the NBA offseason so rumors are swirling and that means star players are being linked to the Los Angeles Lakers. It's like clockwork and it's happening once again. The team has signaled that they won't go after a third star player to put around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, preferring continuity from last season. But with the history of this franchise, anything is fair game.

ESPN NBA Insider Brian Windhorst believes that one star player could be on the move this summer and that his value could be low at this time.

“If Bradley Beal gets traded between now and next Thursday, I think people are going to be very surprised at the price and potentially how low it's going to be” 

Beal has been linked to the Lakers for some time now. He would give Los Angeles a true third star and he likely would fit in well with the team. Beal can shoot threes, create his own shot and is an underrated passer. He could allow James to play more off the ball which is something that he has wanted to do for some time now. 

Just In: The Washington Wizards and Bradley Beal will work together to find a trade for the three-time All-Star if the team elects to reset the roster in the near future, league sources tell me and @JoshuaBRobbins.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 14, 2023

However, the biggest hurdle in a possible deal is the contract of Beal. He just signed a super max deal with the Washington Wizards and still has four years left on the contract. Beal is owed $46.7 million for this coming season, $50 million next year, $53 million in 2025 and then has a player option in 2026 for $57 million.

There are those around the league that view this contract as the worst in the NBA so the Lakers would need to weight that before making any deal. However, getting a talent like Beal would be great for their win-now window, especially if they can get him for cheap. 

The Beal to LA dreams may be slim but it's something that Los Angeles will likely at least look into before going forward with their offseason plans. 

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