John Wall vs Lakers (Photo : Rob Carr | Getty Images Sport)
The LA Lakers have been rumored to be ready to trade their young core for a superstar.
John Wall is the Washington Wizards' franchise player but their team is struggling this season and in his last game, he needed to be carried off by teammates.
As of this writing, there is no update yet on the extent of the injury, but even then, there were actually some quarters who believe the Wizards may reset and trade their biggest asset.
As discussed by Today's Fastbreak, one of the biggest faults of the Wizards' coach Randy Wittman is his insistence on small ball. They beat the Cavs using that but they do not have the tools like the Golden State Warriors to rely on that every night. TF says it's because Wall is a far cry from Stephen Curry.
Writer Carlos Diaz stated that "Wall and his supporting cast seem to have a symbiotic relationship. They need him to score, but he can only be as good as they are. I'm not sure if he significantly lifts their performance over a long period of time."
Basically, what they're saying is that Wall is not a superstar on the level of LeBron James or Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant who can carry a team and make them better, which is why they need KD so much.
Another hit on the Wizards is that their frontcourt is no longer effective, especially if they want to play small ball. In particular, Marcin Gortat has to be moved as he still has three more years to his salary.
If the trend continues, the Wizards would not be able to make the playoffs and it would be disastrous for the team. John Wall will take command responsibility and this is the basis for the Real GM thread that sought to propose trades for Wall.
In light of the possibility of John Wall getting traded, the Wizards should also take advantage and get rid of Gortat's deal. One team that could accept that is the LA Lakers.
Hungry for a star, the Lakers can trade their core of Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell (effectively covering the point guard position Wall plays) Larry Nance Jr. and Roy Hibbert's expiring contract for John Wall and Marcin Gortat.
Even with Wall and Gortat, the Lakers can still offer a max contract (or two if they trade Nick Young and Lou Williams) this summer and build a new team. The presence of Wall will make the Lakers a more relevant option and offering a fresh start for Wall could make him perform better.
For the Wizards, if they can keep Bradley Beal, they'll still have a chance to be a good team in the future in the East. Russell can develop into something similar to Wall and they'll also have Clarkson.
