Grade the Trade: Spurs get Wembanyama an All-Star teammate in massive 4-team proposal
Laying out the details of the four-team trade
A trade idea was recently proposed by our fellow website Bleacher Report, a whopper of a deal that would see four teams get involved. Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine both find new landing spots, while the Clippers get more of a public name and the Spurs get a short-term co-star to Victor Wembanyama.
What would the details of such a trade look like? Here is what Bleacher Report suggested:
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: SG Bradley Beal, 2031 first-round pick (unprotected via Phoenix Suns), 2025 second-round pick (via Sacramento Kings), 2028 second-round pick (via Chicago Bulls)
The LA Clippers give up a fair amount of their depth to commit to Bradley Beal, sending out Norman Powell, P.J. Tucker, Terance Mann, Bones Hyland and Amir Coffey. The thought process would be twofold; first, that the Clippers recognize they aren't a true contender this year, so they can build up their depth over the next calendar year and try again in 2025-26.
The other thought is that Beal would be better deployed on a roster with a true point guard in James Harden, and that perhaps he could thrive playing alongside Harden and Kawhi Leonard. That's a fairly tough pill to swallow on the surface, but when you add in the extremely lucrative 2031 Phoenix first and a pair of second-rounders, it becomes more tasty. It seems unlikely, but not impossible, that the Clippers could go this route.
Phoenix Suns Receive: SG Norman Powell, F/C Zach Collins, F/C P.J. Tucker
The Phoenix Suns give up an unprotected 2013 first to get off of Bradley Beal's contract, taking back a trio of role players. Norman Powell can be the sixth man for Phoenix and bring a bench scoring punch they simply didn't have last season. Zach Collins can be a reliable backup for Jusuf Nurkic. Tucker is on the last legs of his career but has some utility matching up with a handful of bigs around the league.
The Suns are likely not much worse, if at all, and they have more flexibility in the future to make changes. It's an expensive move, but it's very possible they decide to go after it.
Chicago Bulls Receive: F Keldon Johnson, G/F Terance Mann, G Bones Hyland, SG Amir Coffey
The Chicago Bulls want to move on from Zach LaVine to free up their future, but given this organization's long history of making decisions to remain competitive, it makes sense that the Bulls would be after players rather than picks. Keldon Johnson and Terance Mann are starter-level players coming over to the Windy City, while Bones Hyland and Amir Coffey can serve roles off the bench. It does cost an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, but the Bulls move off of a lot of money in the process.
What about the San Antonio Spurs; would they take part in this trade?