Los Angeles Lakers legend Byron Scott had some advice to share with his former team on the latest episode of Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast. The Phoenix Suns are reportedly quite willing to trade Bradley Beal and while Scott admires the guard, he doesn’t want the Lakers to give up Austin Reaves for him.
“Bradley Beal is going to be on the move,” Scott said. “Now, it’s been talked about him being here in L.A. Obviously, Bradley is a very very talented offensive player, there’s no doubt about that. But if you look at what Austin’s done this year, so far, his numbers have been fantastic.
“If I’m the Lakers, I don’t know if you think twice about making this deal, especially if you have to give up some of the young talent or some of the draft picks and all this stuff that you know they have to give up,” Scott continued. “You cannot part ways, to me, right now, with Austin Reaves. He has to stay here.”
When co-host Kid Jay brought up the huge difference in salaries, Scott pointed to it being another reason not to do this trade.
“That’s the other reason,” Scott stated. “Austin is at a bargain, big time. Like a $38 million bargain. So, I like what Austin Reaves has been doing all season long, and I like where they are right now.”
Parting with Reaves for Beal certainly wouldn’t be a smart decision. One can argue who is the better player at this moment, but when you look at the age and salary, it’s a no-brainer who you’d want on your team.
Beal is averaging 17.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game for the Suns in 2024-25. The 31-year-old is in the third year of a five-year, $251 million contract and has a no-trade clause too.
Reaves, meanwhile, is averaging 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game for the Lakers in 2024-25. From a team perspective, the 26-year-old is on a great deal too, as he is in the second year of a four-year, $53.8 million contract.
It’s pretty obvious who’s the better asset here. To further strengthen Reaves’ case, he doesn’t have an injury history either. He played all 82 games last season while Beal hasn’t played over 60 games in any of the last five campaigns. Some riots might take place in Los Angeles if the Lakers decide to swap these two.
Lakers fans have already made it clear they don’t want Beal. We’re talking about a fanbase that loves to see star players suit up for their team but they don’t want him.
It would be a shock too if Beal becomes a Laker, even with them reportedly being one of the teams he’d be willing to waive his no-trade clause for. If the three-time All-Star was on a reasonable contract, it might have made sense for them to go after him, but he certainly isn’t on one.
Trading for Beal doesn’t make sense for any team hoping to compete for a title at this moment. Only a rebuilding one would realistically be willing to take on that contract but he could just veto any trade thanks to that clause. With the Feb. 6 trade deadline just weeks away, there is a great chance that Beal remains with the Suns this season.
As for the Lakers, well they do need to make a move if they are to become a serious title contender. They are currently 20-17 on the season and will be in action next against the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday at 10 PM ET.
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