Bradley Beal is the center of all the latest NBA rumors. Here's the buzz on the trade price and possible suitors in the Eastern Conference.
NBA rumors: Bradley Beal might not be traded for a big haul due to multiple factors
According to Brian Windhorst, Bradley Beal will be traded for a "fraction" of what the Jazz got for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert last offseason. Windy would go on to add that the Wizards are in a tricky situation due to the fact that Beal has a no-trade clause. Additionally, his contract is not extremely desirable for a player who has only made All-NBA 3rd team once and has never made a 1st or 2nd team.
Not a lot of teams are expected to be in the Beal trade sweepstakes. First, teams have to be a good enough roster for Beal to go to after the trade is made. Then, the team has been willing to eat the last two years of his deal where he will sorely decline in play as he ages. Also, the league is going into a summer where teams will try to avoid the luxury tax due to the new CBA which gives out high penalties for teams that do not get under the second or even first tax apron.
The Heat is the exception — team that is heavily linked to the Beal and could be the team that ultimately makes the deal for the all-star.
The Heat don't have every pick in their trade arsenal but still, they could easily match contracts with the Wizards. The only reason that the Bucks are listed is due to the fact that things in Milwaukee are getting very dark. The core that won the championship two seasons ago is aging and Giannis Antetokounmpo only has two years left on his deal (with a player option for the next season).
Additionally, Khris Middleton has a player option this summer that he will decline and maybe the Bucks would rather trade for Bradley Beal than re-sign Khris Middleton. Yes, Beal is an aging All-Star but Middleton is getting older and hasn't been the same since his MCL sprain against the Celtics two seasons ago.
NBA rumors: 76ers are not interested in trading for Bradley Beal
According to the Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice, the Philadelphia 76ers will not be looking into the Bradley Beal trade market. They have concerns about his long-term contract and would not view him as an option even if they were to lose James Harden this off-season.
With the number of times that Beal missed games due to injury, this is a smart move. If the Sixers lose out on James Harden, the clock immediately starts for when Joel Embiid requests a trade out of Philly. If the Sixers were to commit serious assets to a Beal deal, they would be all-in on a Beal-Embiid duo. Pending a Tyrese Maxey jump, this seems like a shaky foundation.
At the end of the day, Beal most likely works best on a championship-contending team that views him as a third option or at the very least a team that has two elite secondary options (with Beal being one of those two options). At this current moment, Maxey is a third option on a championship team.
Also, it is important to note that the Sixers would end up spending their prime Joel Embiid years by trading for two guards who are past their prime and whose injuries have diminished their skills.
NBA rumors: The Celtics are out on Bradley Beal
The Boston Celtics are heading a fork in the road with their choice of extending Jaylen Brown. According to Brian Windhorst, it seems like Boston will not be trading for Beal due to the fact that they are more locked in with Brown. Within this current system, every real contender has two real All-NBA players as their two main pieces.
As mentioned in the top slide, teams are really worried about the current luxury tax penalties and can't really afford three big contracts anymore. The Celtics could trade Jaylen Brown for assets and get Beal for cheap if he wants to come to Boston. Although it is quite obvious that this version of the team is just getting an older, worse, more injury-prone player.
Due to his contract, Beal not being a first or second-All-NBA type player, and the fact that he is aging, it is very hard for teams who have other options to trade for the All-Star. The only teams that will be interested in Beal are teams that are looking at very limited options to acquire All-Star talent. The Heat and Bucks are the only two good options for differing reasons.
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