FanPost

Should the Washington Wizards Sign & Trade Bradley Beal for Carmelo Anthony?

Completing a sign & trade sending Bradley Beal for Carmelo Anthony is an option the Washington Wizards should seriously consider with the KD2DC dream on life support. Beal who will turn 23 at the end of June, has not shown to be worth anything near the maximum salary he's asking for and his career eerily mirrors the disappointment that has been Eric Gordon's time in the NBA. Beal took a significant step back defensively this season and injuries are a constant concern for him. Signing Beal to a max deal could turn into to an albatross unless he makes a significant jump in his level of play, which he hasn't done thus far.

For the New York Knicks it represents the opportunity to get younger and add another piece to grow with their burgeoning star, Kristaps Porzingis. Carmelo is about to turn 32 and while he's still very good, he doesn't fit into a rebuilding situation, nor is he interested in being a part of one. Additionally, the Knicks have absolutely nothing of quality in the backcourt and desperately need an influx of talent on the perimeter. This trade gives the Knicks the chance to cash in on Carmelo's trade value and get a young quality asset in return. I also think playing with John Wall is something Melo would be interested in and I could see him waving his no-trade clause to do so.

For the Wizards, it gives them a clear and demonstrative upgrade over what Beal has provided in the regular season throughout his career. Carmelo's best ball has been associated with playing with a real PG and he wouldn't need to create on his own as much as he did playing with far lesser PGs such as Jose Calderon, Raymond Felton, Jeremy Lin, etc. His efficiency would improve playing more off the ball instead of isolation plays where he's expected turn water into wine as the Knicks have needed him to do most of the time in NY. It would give Wall the best offensive threat he's ever played with and the Wizards would finally have two legitimate all-stars on their roster.

Roster wise you could mix/match Anthony at either the 3 or 4 with Otto Porter Jr. or Markieff Morris. As a stretch 4 with Wall on the floor it makes our offensive potentially explosive as defenses would have to key on Melo giving Wall more space to operate in half court sets. With Markieff/Marcin Gortat up front you could keep Anthony at the 3 and not lose too much defensively as long as you have a strong defender at the 2.

Giving up a young guard for a guy nearing 32 year old sounds like a risky short term fix and in some ways it is but were at a crossroads with Beal where a max contract carries a massive risk in itself. Outside of the rare occasional big game and a handful of playoff games, Beal hasn't shown he can live up to being a max player, nor can he stay on the floor long enough to warrant relying on him as a key franchise piece. If the goal is to improve the roster, this is one bold step that the Wizards can make.

This represents the view of the user who wrote the FanPost, and not the entire Bullets Forever community. We're a place of many opinions, not just one.