Lakers Urged To Trade For Bradley Beal As Hornets Make Reported Inquiry

The Los Angeles Lakers should trade for Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal over the likes of Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard or Klay Thompson according to FOX Sports commentator Colin Cowherd. It was reported Monday by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that given Washington's struggles this season, they were now open to trade discussions over all their players, including previously untradable all-stars John Wall and Beal.

It has led to speculation over potential trade moves, more so with Beal because of his more manageable contract and being three years younger than Wall. The first team to show real interest in the 25-year-old is the Charlotte Hornets. According to the Charlotte Observer, the Hornets have inquired about Beal, though its source didn’t identify any potential offers made for him.

Further interest in the former University of Florida star from other teams is expected, but it should be the Lakers who go all-out for him, according to Cowherd. The Lakers signed LeBron James earlier this summer and are expected to add a top player to their ranks next year with Davis, Durant, Leonard, and Thompson all rumored. However, Cowherd believes Beal would be a perfect fit and much more attainable than any of those other players.

"The Wizards have decided they’re breaking up John Wall and Bradley Beal. Now, nobody wants John Wall, that is an untraceable contract," Cowherd said on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" show. "He’s needy, he’s distracted, he’s immature, hard to play with. He’s [Russell] Westbrook out East. But Bradley Beal is Klay Thompson, he is a perfect fit for LeBron James. He is young, he’s only 25, he’s a great shooter, he doesn’t need the ball and he’s athletic. Now he’s not as good a defender as Klay but he can play."

“Bradley Beal is the most undervalued player in the league. He’s never had an elite coach, John Wall is impossible to play with, he [Beal] is a super high basketball IQ guy. The only knock on him... [is] the contract. The rest of this year you’ve got to pay him big money, two years after that."

“But all I’m saying is you keep telling me about Anthony Davis. You’ve got to wait two years for that unless you’re going to make a huge trade. Do you have the pieces to get Anthony Davis? I don’t think you do. What are you going to give somebody for Anthony Davis? You don’t have a star outside of LeBron. You're going to get Kawhi Leonard, you sure he’s going to come? Paul George didn’t. Klay Thompson? Not leaving Golden State. Prove it to me. Kevin Durant? Flaky."

Meanwhile, Beal responded to the recent headlines Washington was making. In addition to putting all their players up for trade discussions, it was revealed Wall was fined for cursing at head coach Scott Brooks during a recent practice session.

Beal added that the drama would either "boost us or f--- us up a little bit."

"We've already aired out a lot of our problems the last couple of years," he said, as quoted on Bleacher Report. "It's not like any of our stuff is a secret. We just got to do it on the floor. It's not like we have bad character guys or bad guys. We're just not getting it [done] in between the lines."

"Maybe it's entitlement. Maybe we're too cool. Maybe we feel we can flip it on a switch. All the things we've said in the past that's been a problem with us. I don't know. That's the annoying part about it. You can't pinpoint it as one thing."

Beal averaged 21.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the 16 games he's played for the Wizards this season so far.