Is trading for Bradley Beal a smart move for the future of the LA Clippers?
If the LA Clippers were to go through with this proposal, they would be trading all their young pieces away for an elite scorer in Bradley Beal. Though he is almost 30 years old, he is in the midst of his prime and needs the right opportunity to thrive.
Furthermore, LA will trade away their best young pieces, Bones Hyland and Terance Mann. These guys dominate on the court and represent the LA Clippers off the court to the best of their abilities.
What may go overlooked in this proposal is that the LA Clippers will also be moving on from Robert Covington and Marcus Morris Sr. This is great for the front office as these two did not perform as expected for head coach Tyronn Lue. This will also clear up room on the bench, giving players like Norman Powell and Nicolas Batum more minutes to work with.
The only downside to trading for Beal is his health concerns. This is not a new problem for the LA Clippers, as they missed their window this season due to the injuries of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Moreover, Beal has eclipsed the 60-game mark only five times out of his 11 seasons in the NBA.
That said, this is a high-risk-high-reward trade for the LA Clippers. If everything works out, the trio of Beal-George-Leonard could make history and bring home a championship. Conversely, if injuries occur, this could be considered one of the worst trades in franchise history. LA would have lost multiple key players and draft picks for a star who cannot stay healthy.