Denver Nuggets: Why a Bradley Beal Trade Makes Sense for Them

Seeing the ascension of the Lakers, Clippers and Jazz, the Nuggets may be one piece away from competing with those powerhouses.

While it is easy to argue that the Nuggets are still ascending with many young players, player development is always a gamble. While we are sure that both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will continue to ascend as they have shown in years past, the same cannot be said for a player like Gary Harris who has shown to be highly injury-prone. Add to the mix both Michael Porter Jr and Bol Bol. Neither player has shown the ability to stay healthy on the basketball court, although their potential is sky high. The Nuggets need that one sure-fire option on offense to take them to the finish line.

That player could be Bradley Beal.

It will be yet another down year for the Washington Wizards as John Wall continues to rehab his ruptured left Achilles tendon, an injury that could affect his game for the rest of his career given his reliance of athleticism. This likely will not sit well with Beal who is entering his prime after having a career year last season averaging 25.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.5 APG shooting 47.5% from the field. Beal would likely want to take advantage of these years and play for a contending team as opposed to a lottery team.

Denver would be the perfect team for Beal. Who wouldn’t want to play with Nikola Jokic? He consistently makes the players around him better with his high ball IQ and playmaking abilities. Beal could benefit greatly from more open looks from the perimeter. Add to that an ascending third option in Jamal Murray that can relieve some of the pressure from Beal on the scoring end when required. He would fit right into the system. Here is a trade scenario that could work for both teams salary-wise:

Washington receives: Gary Harris, Mason Plumlee, Juan Hernangomez, 2021 Top 10 protected 1st round pick

Denver gets: Bradley Beal, Mortiz Wagner

This trade is a win for the Washington Wizards as they get younger assets in Harris and Hernangomez as well as an expiring contract in Mason Plumlee. These young assets, 1st round pick and expiring contract allows the Wizards to start their rebuild successfully.

This trade would also be a win for the Nuggets because they are still able to keep their depth in tact by keeping Michael Porter Jr, Malik Beasley, Monte Morris, Jerami Grant etc. while also still keeping both Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. This would allow the Nuggets to roll out this starting lineup:

PG: Jamal Murray

SG: Bradley Beal

SF: Torrey Craig

PF: Paul Millsap

C: Nikola Jokic

This lineup is not only one of the best offensive lineups in the league but the inclusion of Craig and Millsap allows the team to also defend at a high level. There would be no doubt that this Nuggets team with the addition of Beal would make serious noise in a super competitive Western Conference.