Would this trade make sense for the Washington Wizards?
The Washington Wizards trade of Russell Westbrook was not a sign of the team beginning a teardown. They were honoring his wishes to go back out to the west coast, recommitting to building their roster around Bradley Beal.
This is the kind of deal that will get Beal to commit long-term to the franchise if he already hasn’t. But, should he change his mind, they would have a new star to build around in Ben Simmons.
A lot is heading back to Philadelphia in this deal, but Washington can handle the blow. They added a ton of depth in the Westbrook trade from the Los Angeles Lakers, adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell.
Trading away recent first-round picks in Rui Hachimura and Corey Kispert, who has yet to even suit up for the team, hurts but they do not have the star potential that Simmons possesses. Simmons is already a multi-time All-Star and All-Defensive Team member, improving the ceiling of this team.
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Having a guard such as Beal alongside him in the backcourt will also make life easier for him. Beal can handle the scoring load offensively, while Simmons focuses on the things he does well; playmaking, rebounding and playing defense.
The All-Star pairing of Simmons and Beal is one that players will want to team up with, as Washington would have one of the strongest backcourt duos in the NBA.
