Report: Are The Golden State Warriors Actually Interested In Bradley Beal?

Last week, Bleacher Report revealed a mock trade of sending Bradley Beal to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, the second pick of the 2020 NBA draft and other potential assets. While this was a suggestion to spark a conversation, other sources and networks have entertained this topic, including ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, who suggested the same trade. Even though this is only a conversation about fantasies, are the Golden State Warriors actually interested in trading for Bradley Beal?

To be clear, these rumours that have been circulating the internet have only been mock trades. Neither Golden State nor Washington has expressed an interest in proceeding with this trade, making this topic a "hot conversation." However, let's entertain the concept of Bradley Beal as a Warrior and Andrew Wiggins as a Wizard. The first glaring aspect would be that the Warriors would possess All-Star calibre shooting guards meaning that either Klay Thompson or Bradley Beal would have to slide to the small forward position. With Bradley Beal only being 6'3, Klay Thompson would have to be enlisted as the starting small forward, which could benefit the Warriors a lot more than Andrew Wiggins. In addition, the Warriors are at the tail end of their dynasty, which entails that they would need as much help as they can get! Trading for Bradley Beal would elevate their chances of winning a championship, but more importantly, it would also grant them a future rebuilding asset as Beal is only 26 years old. If Bob Myers has to trade Andrew Wiggins and the second-round pick for a top-five shooting guard in the NBA, this trade is a no brainer. Even though this year's draft has an abundance of talent and potential, none of the players have shown superstar potential compared to prospects such as Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.   

While the Warriors would attain a top-five shooting guard and future All-NBA player in Bradley Beal, the Washington Wizards would receive a package that would suffice in value. Unlike Golden State, the Washington Wizards are entering this decade as a rebuilding project. The John Wall days are over, which entails that change needs to happen if this organization wants a bright future. Trading for Andrew Wiggins could be a big steal considering that Wiggins has yet to click on an NBA organization. At one point, he was projected to become a future superstar in the NBA; however, playing for Minnesota hindered that fantasy. Instead, Wiggins has been a mediocre player who needs 20 shot attempts to average 20 points per game. If this trade would become a reality, Andrew Wiggins could be the start of the Wizards rebuild as he is only 25 years old with plenty of seasons left to prove himself. However, if he fails to return to his rookie self, the second pick of the NBA draft could make up for Wiggins's missed production.

Even though there is no unanimous first pick in this year's NBA draft, the talent of this year's draft is still exceptional as the first eight picks could all be future All-Stars. With the Wizards attaining the second pick, they have the potential to draft the best player in the class. Whether that is Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman or Lamelo Ball, taking that risk is far greater than keeping a player that will waste his prime. If Bradley Beal wants to be a Hall of Famer or even a top ten player in the NBA, he would need to leave Washington as his prime will rot with the Wizards similarly to Gilbert Arenas and John Wall. The Wizards are entering a new direction as they have the opportunity to completely flip their future with this trade and their other lottery pick! 

This trade would benefit both teams in the long run as the Washington Wizards can finally have some breathing room to rebuild while the Golden State Warriors can continue their contention in the Western Conference. While Bradley Beal is no Kevin Durant, he would be the future of the Warriors while still providing meaningful minutes to aid their championship aspirations. The Washington Wizards would benefit the most in this trade as they would have a solid young foundation with Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant, Andrew Wiggins and the two players that they would draft, which would ideally be a point guard and shooting guard. Furthermore, a veteran John Wall would mentor and help this team enter a positive direction. Wall will not be in the Wizard's future plans, but his toughness and mentality could help mature the young players on this team quicker than expected. The best part of this trade is, the Wizards would have cap space in signing other solid rotational players in hopes of making a playoff push. Despite this trade being a topic of conversation, the idea of Bradley Beal as a Warrior is amusing; however, Golden State could get a better offer elsewhere as this second pick in this year's NBA draft is more valuable than you think.