Rumors Are Swirling That There Is A Real Possibility That Bradley Beal Will Finally Get Traded This Summer
Patrick Smith. Getty Images.Every offseason you can usually bank on two things.
1. There will be Damian Lillard trade rumors/drama
2. There will be Bradley Beal trade rumors/drama
Think of the last summer we had where we didn't get each of those things? Both guys have talked a bunch on record about how they are loyal and don't want to leave their teams, both guys continue to sign massive extensions when they could have easily left to go somewhere else, it truly wouldn't be the NBA offseason without reports and rumors surrounding both of those guys.
We already went through the Dame stuff last week, so now it's Beal's turn.
It's not surprising given the fact that there were already reports out there that the Wizards were contemplating a complete rebuild now that they have a new president, and with both Porzingis and Kuzma having player options, there's some juice behind the idea that if they were going to smash that rebuild button, this is the summer to do it.
Trading Beal is obviously a little tricky for a few reasons, and that starts with the no-trade clause. It doesn't really matter who offers the best package, if that's not where Beal wants to go then that deal is dead. That's a two-way street though because if a team knows Beal wants to join their squad, they don't have to overpay. Sure the Wizards could just decide to keep Beal as opposed to losing him for 60 cents on the dollar, but this is not someone who is on an expiring deal or anything like that. Beal is locked up for the foreseeable future
The second hurdle is the salary number. While it looks high, it's not a totally insane number to get to. Plenty of teams can find a way to get close to that $46M, but they also have to be a team that Beal would want to go to. Shams lists the Heat as a potential suitor, and this is their current cap sheet to work with
How enticing would that be for the Wizards, even if picks are obviously thrown in? Let's say you think the Celts should get into the mix, this is their cap sheet
They have a few different avenues to get to that Beal salary number, and this is where I think that second tweet by Woj would come into play. Beal gets to essentially decide what package makes the most sense while not completely gutting his new team. Someone with multiple avenues to pull off a trade like that is potentially important.
Then there's a team like the Sixers would I would imagine would be interested, here's their cap sheet
They are also someone who could potentially have a few different avenues, all depending on what happens with Harden.
The other big thing to remember is that when we're talking star trades, they always seem to go for less than you think. So while I'm sure our timelines will be flooded with trades that look one sided or make no sense for the Wizards, you have to remember their situation. If they are blowing it up, why should they care about getting equal value back? They wouldn't be looking to win. In most of the star trades we've seen recently, both sides are still trying to win. In my opinion, it comes down more to where Beal wants to go, can that team find a way to make the money work while not gutting the team, and do they have enough picks available to make it worth it for a rebuilding Wizards team. In trades like this, more often than not, picks and expiring contracts become more valuable compared to whatever the actual basketball talent is that you get back. It all just depends on what the Wizards would prefer.
Do they need a young player coming back to build around? Do they care more about just getting future cap space and picks? That's the big question.
It's hard to know how much of this is real and how much may just be posturing before we get to the draft, but I'd put it at like 65/35% being legit. Beal's value will only go down a little as he gets older, and with a new front office regime, this is usually when we see them pull the trigger to initiate a rebuild.
So where does he end up? Who the hell knows. Maybe he accepts less to join his friend in Boston. Maybe the Heat put together the best package and Beal is cool with South Beach. Maybe he feels like he's the perfect complimentary piece for Embiid and wants to make his way to Philly. Maybe it's a team out West like the Lakers. At this point, everything is probably on the table and it's ultimately going to come down to where Beal wants to go, whether it's the best thing for the Wizards or not.