It has been reported recently that the Brooklyn Nets are interested in trading for Bradley Beal to add a third star next to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Beal’s agent later denied the rumors, but is the time for the 26-year-old shooting guard to part ways with the Wizards?
NBA columnist Grant Hughes posted an article on Bleacher Report in which he made a case for why Beal should leave Washington. First of all, it’s the Wizards’ performance. This season, the former third overall draft pick is averaging 30.5 points per game which puts him in second place in the entire league, just behind James Harden (34.4 PPG) but his team is just 24-40 (9th place in the Eastern Conference).
The return of John Wall could help with the team results but at the same time Beal would have to sacrifice his shots as he will have to share the basketball with Wall. This might be a factor for the 26-year-old, who is having the best season individually.
Another point to consider is Wall’s contract. “Most importantly, Wall is due to collect about $133 million from 2020-21 to 2022-23, his age-30 through age-32 seasons. That deal will be almost impossible to move without sacrificing a mountain of sweetening throw-ins,” Hughes writes. Beal would have to decide whether to bet on his All-Star teammate or have Washington’s future assets traded to other teams. Either way, it would be a waste of his prime years.
Hughes listed the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets as possible destinations for Beal to continue his career. The Lakers have reportedly shown interest in the Wizards guard in the past. However, Beal himself played down such rumors saying ‘I’m good.’ Before the start of the current season, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report made the case for a potential Beal trade to Denver.
