Trade Scenario #4: Bradley Beal to the Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are a proud franchise but they have missed the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. They are still led by legendary Coach Gregg Popovich, however, the team is in need of an identity if they are going to return to their winning ways.
A trade for Bradley Beal would give Coach Popovich his first franchise player since the team lost DeMar DeRozan to free agency back in 2021. The Spurs have a plethora of young talented players, but winning in the NBA normally takes the right mix of young thoroughbreds and wily veterans. Beal, who will be 30 years old at the start of next season, would still be in his physical prime, yet he possesses the right amount of NBA experience to make him a leader on the court and a respected voice in the locker room.
Unfortunately for San Antonio, acquiring Beal would most likely mean having to part ways with 23-year-old forward Keldon Johnson, who is coming into his own and has shown the potential to be a future All-Star. Although his season averages of 11.6 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per contest were relatively modest, he is capable of an occasional 30-point explosion. It is not inconceivable that if placed in the right situation, Johnson could put up impressive numbers that dwarf his current averages.
As with any scenario, Beal’s massive salary could pose a potential threat to the completion of the trade. However, the Spurs could throw in veteran forward Doug McDermott along with 25-year-old Zach Collins in order to offset the financial undertaking of paying Beal what he is old. Washington would gladly accept McDermott who is a seasoned veteran capable of stretching the floor with his outside shooting. Collins is similar to Porziņģis in his skill set and style of play but he gives the team versatility with his ability to play both the four and the five positions.
San Antonio would ask Beal to revert to the constant attack mode that saw him average over 30 points per game in back-to-back seasons not so long ago. Combining Beal’s instant offense with Gregg Popovich’s basketball genius would make the Spurs a legitimate threat to achieve a top-10 record in the Western Conference and qualify for the annual play-in-tournament.