Reiterating a point made by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday and Wizards head coach Scott Brooks on Saturday, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report confirms that Bradley Beal is not available via trade, citing one longtime executive who notes that the team’s stance on the matter appears sincere and isn’t a bluff to drive up the guard’s price.
Despite there being no change in Beal’s potential availability, it continues to be a popular subject of speculation around the NBA. As Fischer explains, opposing front offices anticipate an “inevitable inflection point,” since there’s an expectation that the Wizards won’t be able to transform into a contender before Beal becomes eligible for free agency in 2022.
That inflection point isn’t here yet though, and the expectation is that it won’t arrive prior to this season’s trade deadline. According to Fischer, there’s a sentiment around the league that, regardless of Washington’s record, team ownership is unlikely to approve a Beal trade until the 2021 offseason at the very earliest.
“Teams say it all the time, but you feel like it’s real,” one assistant GM told Fischer, referring to the Wizards’ unwillingness to engage.
Here are a few more items of note from Fischer’s latest report:
- New Orleans’ interest in Beal is one of the “biggest open secrets” around the league, according to Fischer, who suggests that the Pelicans and Hawks could be among the potential suitors for the Wizards guard if he eventually hits the trade block. Washington had been eyeing Onyeka Okongwu with the No. 9 pick in the 2020 draft before Atlanta scooped him up at No. 6, Fischer notes.
- The Hawks “widely signaled” prior to draft night in the fall that Kevin Huerter was available via trade, per Fischer. It’s unclear whether the team’s stance has changed at all since then or if Huerter will be a trade candidate at next month’s deadline.
- Word in NBA circles is that the Wizards may try to make another run at Masai Ujiri this summer, according to Fischer, who says the franchise has some deep-pocketed minority stakeholders interested in pursuing the Raptors‘ president of basketball operations. Although the Wizards denied it at the time, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported in June 2019 that the club was ready to make an aggressive offer to Ujiri, whose contract with Toronto expires later this year.
Hunter, Okongwu and Huerter and 2022 1st round and a couple 2nds with Snell as salary filler for Beal and Brown
Leaves nice lineup of
PG-Young
SG-Beal
SF-Gallinari
PF-Collins
C-Capela
Bench
Rondo
Bogdonovich
Reddish
Dunn
Brown
Would have to scour the buyout market to grab a rotation piece or 2 but that lineup is solid.
Wizards are just dragging out the inevitable. Move your best pieces while they have value because your current roster doesn’t work.
Not enough imo – Your probably going to have to get Collins in there somehow (if Wiz are even intrigued/Id hope so, good fit long term, and they’d have cash)
Theyd go a lil small thereafter w all the wings and Galli primarily playing the 4
Def think ATL has the players to get it done with only throwing in 2 1sts max…..maybe even 1 and couple 2nds? But is he really the best pairing w Trae is my concern w ATL?? I like the fit in MIA/NO better altho the assets are there for ATL to get it done if they so please to enter the sweepstakes
Doubt the Hawks would move Hunter. I think he’s off limits.
The Hawks have done a good job buildimg their team to have good assets for available superstars.
Beal seems like a premature move in the building process for the Hawks. They need to figure out some defensive identity before they lure a guy like Beal. (It would make some great Nets/Hawks games this season)
They’re real close, definitely a playoff team this season.
Hawks, Heat, Warriors all should be eyeing Beal. All three can make good offers. Even with a third team involved. Wizards have time to look at their team. They’ve had injuries and protocol issues. For them it’s probably best to wait till TD. I think Heat using Herro and Achiuwa. Can put together best package imo. Both those guys are future solid starters in this league. And could even be special in a few yrs. Wizards wind up in lottery they’ll be adding three big upside players for next yr. That’s not even counting the picks they get in trade. Or what they can get for Westbrook. Whole NBA will be on the Beal watch. Cause this trade like Harden trade will change the power structure in NBA.
Pelicans are interesting – They got the picks in spades and Hayes prolly looks good on Wiz-
Maybe a 3 team trade which gets Gordon somewhere else in the process (which NO would Covet dearly)
Get Ball, Hayes ,Hart or NAW and whatever Gordon nets from 3rd team,+ slew of picks for Beal
Maybe they have to include NAW, maybe not depending on pics – I Know NO loves him tho
Theyd be razor thin at the end and have a rook at Pg but
Kira
Beal
Ingram
Zion
Adams
Big shakeup but one that is probably necessary where we sit today …theyd prolly get a small Pg w buyout or Jj capital after
Gordon= Bledsoe …I mix those 2 guys up more than any 2 people ever lol
Pels have the assets, but can you see Beal agreeing to play for SVG?? I don’t know these guys personally, and I don’t know why, but Beal strikes me as a guy who would object to NOP based on the coach. Griffin is a little 60 grit-ish publicly sometimes also.
Would like to say it shouldn’t matter, but it too often does so maybe; solid point
Maybe the allure of Zion/Ingram and possibly a young buck in Kira would displace that fear tho; its def a step up in excitement from Washington and he’s still got his BIG payday/team choice ahead of him at a young age so I could see him intrigued
Beal definitely isn’t a franchise snob, and has survived far worse than Griffin, SVG.
Griffin could use a splash like this too, after the Gentry/SVG move appears to have been for naught.
Not all on SVG, (bledsoe in, favors, holiday out) but his offense stinks. Since the end of ORL & all of Detroit.
Van Gundy is not a good coach. Griffin I thought was bright but his is good in talent by not coaching.
I would get league pass just for that team
Pels, or Hawks would be fun teams to watch with Beal
NBABite Stream it, don’t pay for it.
StreamEast….You got league pass LD
Give me a break with all this ridiculous wishful thinking. Beal isn’t going anywhere this season.
Who hurt u lol
Leprechauns.
Unless Beal changes course and demands a trade prior to the TD this year, its irrelevant what team(s) might have the pieces to make a trade right now. Once the season ends, time will have passed and that changes everything. Evaluations, draft assets, etc.
IDK why teams even bother denying this stuff anymore
Beal has one more yr and then a player option yr. So he could leave at end of 2022. Who here thinks next yr 2022 Wizards will be a playoff team. In this East they will not be better than sixth seed. And that’s being super positive. So Beal is suppose to stick around for yr 29, 30 of his career. Then resign with a team that probably never makes a title run during his best yrs. OK so why wouldn’t he leave. If Wizards fall to lottery status this yr, which it’s looking like. Beal is doing Washington a service by leaving. They can rebuild around their young core. And could be the Hawks or better in 2-3 yrs. That means a strong young team with eyes to the Finals. That’s not going to happen with Beal here. Moving Beal if you are a lottery team is the smart move to make. They got till TD. Why is Bron the only one allowed to move around. If I’m Beal I go to Heat.