When news broke on Wednesday that the Washington Wizards and Bradley Beal had discussed the possibility of a trade this summer (should the team choose to “reset” the roster), there was much speculation as to who might be the roster. team interested in former All-Star Shooting Guard.
Beal has four years and over $200 million remaining on his deal, which means it’s extremely difficult to make a trade for him, especially given the upcoming CBA restrictions on capped teams. Trading for Beal would force a team to believe they are one guard away from fighting for a championship, and there are only a handful of teams that could fit that bill.
There are two in the East that Shams Charania flagged as potentially “serious suitors” for Beal: the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Expect the Miami Heat to become major contenders for Bradley Beal…I’ve been told another team is looming as a potential suitor…the Milwaukee Bucks.”
Our NBA Insider @ShamsCharania gave an update on wizards possibly looking to move Beal. pic.twitter.com/uLJXltDQSd
— Stadium (@Stadium) June 14, 2023
Rumors of Miami having an interest in pursuing another star are well known, as they have also been linked to the other highly paid guard who could potentially hit the trade market in Damian Lillard. Miami also has the type of contracts that could facilitate a trade for a $50 million man that very few others have, as Kyle Lowry’s expiring $29.7 million deal is exactly the type of contract needed. to achieve this. Should Miami add Beal, they could also have their eye on moving Tyler Herro, who is a young guard with four years remaining on his contract who could be attractive to a team looking to reset its schedule.
The Bucks are more fascinating as they should almost move Jrue Holiday in a deal for Beal. Holiday’s defense has long been hailed as one of the best in the league at guard, but he’s had well-documented offensive playoff struggles for three straight years now with the Bucks (including their title-winning season). Swapping Holiday for Beal in a bid to get more offensive pop, while ditching their most hard-hitting attacking point defender would be a major swing for a title contender, but pairing Giannis with a more explosive scorekeeper is certainly intriguing – with Khris Middleton expected to re-sign as well. From a Wizarding perspective, there would likely be a need for a third team in this business to provide the picks and/or young pieces that would make this intriguing.
All told, Beal probably won’t get a ton in terms of a return given his contract (which includes the league’s only true no-trade clause), but Washington can aim to ensure that a young player (i.e. Herro) tries to build around a new schedule or a first-round pick or two to try to restock their closet.