It appeared that the LA Lakers had begun to find their groove after seven wins in nine games, since then they have lost two on the bounce.
After a narrow defeat by the Houston Rockets and a poor 21-point defeat to the Dallas Mavericks, Shaquille O’Neal was far from impressed.
The team needs a dynamic scorer and far too frequently relies on the magic of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Austin Reaves has stepped up at times this season but has been far from consistent.
JJ Redick’s side sit sixth in the Western Conference with a 20-16 record, but Lou Williams believes one star can push them to greater heights.
Williams likes Beal fit at Lakers
While LeBron and AD continue to put up solid scoring numbers averaging 23.8 and 25.8 respectively, the dropoff behind them is large.
Reaves is the Lakers next highest scorer averaging 18.3 but Williams explains how the side needs a consistent 25-30 point-a-night guy when needed.
The man Williams has pinpointed for the Lakers is unwanted Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal. The three-time All-Star has been forced out of the Suns starting lineup as they look to work a trade.
Speaking on Fan Duel’s Run It Back Williams explained why Beal would fit perfectly with LeBron and AD: “He’s [Bradley Beal] been the type A guy to be on a team where you can put the ball in his hands and he can go lead you to a bunch of wins.
“I don’t think he would be the guy to defer to an AD or LeBron when it’s needed, and for that, I like the Lakers fit.”
Beal willing to waive no-trade clause for Lakers
Beal is currently the only star in the NBA to have a no-trade clause in his contract, something that Chandler Parsons believes more should follow.
A no-trade clause allows players to resist being used as trait bait by their teams, but they do have the option to waive the clause if they want to leave.
And Phoenix Suns insider John Gambordaro revealed Beal would waive his no-trade clause for the Lakers, Heat, and Nuggets.
Lakers fans will be excited about the prospect of bringing Beal in, especially as Dorian Finney-Smith says the side is not using AD in the best possible way.
While Beal’s future remains uncertain one thing that is clear is that he is suffering in Phoenix. His scoring average is down to 17.8 this season, dropping from a high of 31.3 at the Washington Wizards.
Beal and the Lakers could be the perfect fit to elevate each other back to their brilliant best.
