Just a random trade idea between a couple friends, don’t make this into a thing, fake NBA trade rumor sites

Earlier this week, I talked with Greg Wissinger of Sactown Royalty about all the reasons why it would be hard to reunite John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. As much as both teams would love to have the other team’s star, neither team has the right assets to make a trade work and still field a competitive team.

That said, both teams still have some intriguing pieces that the other could use to shake things up. So after our discussion, Greg sent me the following trade idea which I found interesting:

Washington gets: Willie Cauley-Stein, Rudy Gay, and Ben McLemore

Sacramento gets: Bradley Beal

NOTE: Washington would have to waive or move two players prior to this move to make the deal work because they’re already at the 15 player roster maximum.

Now, before we all start arguing, it’s important to understand the rationale for both teams.

Why Sacramento does it

They get wing help they desperately need, Bradley Beal gets to reunite with Garrett Temple, and the Kings get to turn cap space they’d be hard pressed to use effectively into a guy that’s locked up for a long time.

Why Washington does it

If you’re worried about committing long-term to an expensive Wall-Beal-Porter trio, this gives you a way out. Gay has a player option for next season which he said he will exercise to hit free agency next summer, McLemore is a restricted free agent at the end of the year, and Cauley-Stein, the sixth overall pick from 2015, is on his rookie deal for two more seasons after this one.

Final Verdict

I think it’s still a little too early to give up on Bradley Beal at this point. He’s certainly taken a big step forward this season, and he only missed time due to hurting his hamstring on an awkward play, so there’s hope that he’s passed the worst of his leg issues. Yes, he’s making a lot of money, but he’s still only 23 and he’s getting better.

That said, if you really are paranoid about locking into a Wall-Beal-Porter trio with limited resources to get better elsewhere, this is the kind of trade Washington would need to consider, because it gives them a young, cheap asset and lets them clear cap space to retool the roster moving forward.

As I mentioned on Facebook Live (embedded below) It’s hard to envision the Wizards doing this in real life, even if they made a management change this season, but it’s a fun little hypothetical to tinker with as we ponder where the Wizards go from here.