Getty
Golden State Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga during the 2021 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 15.
Of the three monster names remaining on the NBA summer trade block, Bradley Beal, as of this week, appears the least likely to leave before the new season begins. Ben Simmons has been causing more drama and headaches than a fan base like Philadelphia may be able to handle and Damian Lillard has long been the most-coveted prize on the market this off-season.
That doesn’t mean that NBA scribes aren’t still busy crafting trade proposal after trade proposal for teams like the Golden State Warriors to possibly pry Beal away from the Washington Wizards.
The latest Warriors news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Warriors newsletter here!
On Monday, Andy Bailey wrote up “Trade Packages for Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal and NBA’s Top Targets” for Bleacher Report and he came up with a way for the Dubs to possibly land the three-time All-Star.
Would Adding Beal Make the Dubs the Favorite in the West?
GettyWashington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal during an April game against the Golden State Warriors.
Here’s the proposal that Bailey produced:
Warriors receive: Bradley Beal, 2023 first-round swap pick with Wizards
Wizards receive: Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round swap pick with Warriors, 2026 first-round pick
It was reported in the hours leading up to draft night that a trade for Beal wasn’t imminent, and that if one wasn’t completed that evening, the likelihood of a move eventually being made would drop significantly. If the Dubs higher ups happen to read Bailey’s article and go forward with the move however, the team’s makeup would obviously change dramatically.
The roster would get older for sure – Kuminga and Moody are incoming rookies and Wiggins is 26, while Beal is 28 – but the lineup would also get smaller. Beal measures at 6-foot-3 and typically suits up as the two-guard, while Kuminga is a natural forward and stands at 6-foot-8, Wiggins can play guard or forward and is 6-foot-7, and even Moody, a fellow guard like Beal, is 6-foot-6.
Despite the negative connotations of an older and smaller roster, the addition of Beal would undoubtedly bring loads of intrigue to the Dubs and make them more of an immediate title contender. If the former Florida Gator were added to the rotation, the “Big Three” of Stephen Curry, Beal and Draymond Green would be among the best in the Western Conference, perhaps trailing only the LeBron/Westbrook/AD combo in Los Angeles and the CP3/Booker/Ayton trio in Phoenix.
If you add in a healthy Klay Thompson though, the Warriors again have a four-headed crew of All-Stars, plus the uber-talented James Wiseman still in stow to take the center position.
What Would the Warriors Rotation Look Like After Hypothetical Trade?
GettyKlay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors guards Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards during a game in 2018.
If everything fell into place with this trade and Thompson came back in the earlier portion of the upcoming season, here’s what the Warriors rotation could potentially look like.
PG: Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Chris Chiozza, Mychal Mulder, Damion Lee
SG: Bradley Beal, Jordan Poole, Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder
SF: Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Juan Toscano-Anderson
PF: Draymond Green, Otto Porter, Nemanja Bjelica, Juan Toscano-Anderson
C: James Wiseman, Kevon Looney, Nemanja Bjelica
It’d be hard to picture any NBA defense slowing that offense down, and while defense and size could certainly be an issue at times with this group, holding onto Wiseman would be crucial in a trade package.
The Warriors will take on the Los Angeles Lakers in their fifth and final NBA Summer League contest at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
READ NEXT: Former Warriors Guard Attempting NBA Comeback at 35 Years Old