Bradley Beal Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Heat, Beal, Wizards, Magic, Hayward

November 29th, 2020 at 5:28pm CST by JD Shaw

If Giannis Antetokounmpo opts to sign a five-year, $228MM super-max contract extension with the Bucks over these next few weeks, Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal will likely become the No. 1 target for the Heat, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.

Miami has diligently preserved cap space for the summer of 2021, when superstars such as Antetokoumnpo could reach free agency and ultimately meet with the team. The Heat did choose to sign centerpiece Bam Adebayo to a five-year extension and limit their cap space last week, with Adebayo and Antetokounmpo sharing the same agent.

Beal, 27, averaged a career-high 30.5 points per game this past season, shooting 46% from the floor and 35% from downtown. The Heat have several trade assets that could be used in a deal, including Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn and Kelly Olynyk. Antetokounmpo has yet to make a decision thus far.

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington lists five questions for the Wizards entering training camp this week. John Wall reportedly requested a trade earlier this month, with general manager Tommy Sheppard recently downplaying the report and insisting their relationship remains intact. Besides Wall, the team must also decide who to start at small forward next season, with Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija and Troy Brown Jr. being the most likely candidates.
Josh Robbins of The Athletic examines whether the Magic tend to overvalue their own players. Orlando finished with the eight-best record in the Eastern Conference at 33-40 last season, losing point guard D.J. Augustin to Milwaukee in free agency. The team retained Evan Fournier after he exercised his $17.15MM player option, however, with the 28-year-old averaging a career-high 18.5 points per game last season.
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer explores the implications from the Hornets agreeing to a four-year, $120MM deal with Gordon Hayward, breaking it down from a cap and roster perspective. Charlotte officially acquired the former NBA All-Star in a sign-and-trade with the Celtics on Sunday.

Eastern Rumors: Millsap, Celtics, Hayward, Crowder

November 21st, 2020 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are showing “strong interest” in signing veteran big man Paul Millsap, league sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link). Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears from his own source that Boston is currently at the top of Millsap’s list as he weighs his options. A decision is expected later today, Himmelsbach adds.

While the Celtics aren’t expected to create any cap room as a result of Gordon Hayward‘s departure, the team now has some added cap flexibility to make sign-and-trade and/or use its full mid-level exception, opening up a few options in free agency.

Here are a few more notes from around the East:

Speaking of Hayward, Hornets owner Michael Jordan called the veteran forward late last night in an effort to close the deal for Charlotte, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). Jordan’s pitch must have been effective, though the $120MM the Hornets will apparently pay Hayward over the next four years probably didn’t hurt either.
The Heat offered Jae Crowder a two-year deal that would have paid him $14MM in 2020/21, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). However, Miami wasn’t willing to guarantee any money beyond the first year, so Crowder opted for the Suns’ three-year, $30MM offer, which will pay him less in year one but is worth significantly more overall.
In a column for The Athletic, David Aldridge contends that Wizards owner Ted Leonsis must decide if the franchise wants to build around John Wall and Bradley Beal and then trade the odd man out. While Aldridge’s argument makes some sense, it seems obvious that Beal would be the team’s choice and that trading Wall won’t exactly be easy.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Sheppard, Riley, Bertans

November 19th, 2020 at 9:57pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

27-year-old star Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal has become the clear second star target for the Heat behind reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

A two-time All-Star for Washington, Beal averaged 30.5 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 4.2 RPG for a depleted Wizards club last year. He also sported a great shooting slash line of .455/.353/.842. The Heat hope to have enough cap space to sign a max free agent in 2021. Though the Heat could offer a pricey contract extension to emergent All-Star power forward/center Bam Adebayo during the offseason, doing so now instead of waiting until the 2021 offseason could complicate their cap space next summer.

Beal won’t reach free agency until at least 2022, but the Heat have strong interest in trading for him if he expresses dissatisfaction in Washington and the Wizards make him available, according to Jackson, who says “all parties are aware of that.”

There’s more out of the NBA’s Southeast Division:

In a conversation for The Kevin Sheehan Show, Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard spoke about potentially trading injured point guard John Wall trade for frustrated Rockets All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook. “I think it’s fair to say we talk about every player on every team,” Sheppard said, as Ava Wallace of the Washington Post tweeted. “I wouldn’t dwell on it. I’m excited to have John Wall back, looking forward to having him in training camp.” Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington opines that the exploration of this move suggests a willingness by Sheppard to take chances in building his roster.
Wizards GM Sheppard made no bones about the most important free agent for his club, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). “(Power forward) Dāvis (Bertāns) is our free agency and we will add pieces afterwards,” Sheppard said.
When asked about his plans for the 2020/21 season, Heat team president Pat Riley appeared to indicate that he would be interested in retaining most of the team’s key free agents, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). “I’d like to run this thing back,” Riley said.

Wizards, Bulls Rebuffing Overtures For Beal, LaVine

November 18th, 2020 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine have been “hot names” around the NBA as potential trade targets, but the Wizards and Bulls are rebuffing overtures for their respective leading scorers, says Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

The fact that the Wizards aren’t showing any interest in moving Beal comes as no surprise, as that has been the team’s stance ever since general manager Tommy Sheppard was hired in 2019. Sheppard reiterated on Tuesday that Beal “isn’t going anywhere” this fall.

LaVine’s status hasn’t been the subject of quite as much speculation as Beal’s, and the new decision makers in Chicago – led by president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas – haven’t given many hints about their plans. Based on Goodwill’s report though, it sounds like the team is looking to hang onto LaVine, who has two years and $39MM left on his team-friendly contract.

According to Goodwill, the Sixers have been one of the many teams kicking the tires on Beal and LaVine.

Earlier today, Jason Dumas of KRON4 News reported (via Twitter) that there’s a growing belief within the 76ers’ front office that the team won’t have a shot at acquiring Rockets star James Harden without including Ben Simmons. Dumas suggested that new president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is working on something else “significant” that would allow the team to keep both Simmons and Joel Embiid.

Beal and LaVine, who both provide play-making abilities, are the sorts of targets that would make sense for Philadelphia. However, with the Wizards and Bulls reportedly resisting offers, any “significant” move by Morey and the Sixers seems unlikely to include either Beal or LaVine.

Teams will continue to monitor Beal’s and LaVine’s situations on draft night and beyond, tweets Goodwill.

Wizards Rumors: Beal, Draft, Wall, Bertans, Roster

November 17th, 2020 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his preview of the Wizards‘ offseason, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes that there’s “no way” the team will trade Bradley Beal this fall. General manager Tommy Sheppard reiterated that point today, telling reporters on a conference call that Beal “isn’t going anywhere,” as Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.

While the Wizards have conveyed that sentiment for a long time, both privately and publicly, rival teams have still been keeping an eye on the situation, hoping things in D.C. may change. But with Beal not expressing to the team that he wants out, and the Wizards showing zero interest in moving him, it appears potential suitors will have to wait until at least the trade deadline – if not the 2021 offseason – to take a shot at Beal.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Sheppard told reporters today that the Wizards are “certainly looking to move up” in the draft, but added that they could also theoretically move back and end up with the same player they want at No. 9, tweets Katz. Sheppard also said Washington would like to acquire another second-round pick in addition to No. 37 (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington).
The Wizards plan to restrict John Wall‘s workload upon his return from an Achilles tear this season, Sheppard confirmed today. As Hughes writes for NBC Sports Washington, the plan is for Wall to sit one half of the team’s back-to-back to start the season — he’s also extremely unlikely to match his career average of 35.9 minutes per game in 2020/21. “Four games in five nights, a compressed season, all those things; we’re gonna save John from himself,” Sheppard told Katz. “He’s not gonna play 40 minutes a night, and we’ve gotta manage his schedule, certainly. But from where he is at a talent level, I think John’s gonna be able to make a big impact on our team. I think he’s gonna take a lot of pressure off everybody.”
The Wizards are still the favorites to re-sign Davis Bertans, according to Katz, who says most people around the league think the sharpshooter will end up with a three- or four-year deal in the range of $12-15MM per year.
Outside of re-signing Bertans, Washington’s top priority this offseason will be adding a rim-protecting big man, writes Katz. The Wizards would also like to bring in someone who can guard bigger wings.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Heat, Olynyk, Wizards

November 8th, 2020 at 3:33pm CST by JD Shaw

Wizards general manager Tommy Shepphard has reaffirmed his confidence that All-Star Bradley Beal will remain with the franchise next season, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes.

Several teams have expressed interest in trading for Beal, 27, but Washington has rebuffed all offers to this point. The team seems intent on keeping Beal and placing him alongside John Wall in the backcourt next season. Wall hasn’t played since December of 2018 due to various injuries.

“Brad absolutely has been committed to us. Last summer, he signed an extension with us. I think we’re absolutely committed to him. The biggest thing we ask for each other is ‘Hey, let’s go win,'” Sheppard said.

“He and I have been a straight line of communication throughout the offseason. He’s really excited for next season. He hasn’t given any indication whatsoever on that and I wouldn’t expect to hear about it from anybody but him. He and I have always been straight-line. And I think he’s as committed to D.C. as he always has been.”

Beal is owed $28.7MM next season and $34.5MM in 2021/22 with the Wizards, with a player option worth $37.2MM in the following season. He averaged a career-high 30.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game last season, good for the second-highest scoring average in the NBA.

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel explores whether the Heat have any untouchable players entering the draft and free agency. Miami acquired its best player, Jimmy Butler, through the trade market in 2019, one way for the franchise to upgrade its roster to push for contention.
Winderman examines in a separate story how Kelly Olynyk‘s $13.2MM player option holds the key to the Heat’s offseason and cap space. If he exercises his option, Miami could use Olynk’s deal in a potential trade between now and the start of the season — or even during the campaign. Should Olynyk opt out, however, the Heat would benefit from receiving additional cap space for free agency. The team could also choose to keep Olynyk as a backup center if he exercises the option.
Tyler Byrum of NBC Sports Washington explores potential Wizards draft targets that may fit the model of last year’s Rui Hachimura pick. Washington drafted Hachimura with the No. 9 pick in 2019, seeing the 22-year-old average 13.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in his rookie season. The team once again owns the ninth selection in this year’s draft.

Lowe’s Latest: Beal, Celtics, Culver, Heat, Gordon, More

November 5th, 2020 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams with interest in Bradley Beal haven’t given up hope that the Wizards will consider trading him this fall, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN, who notes that multiple “strong playoff teams” have looked into what it would take to acquire a top-10 pick and may be seeking extra assets to swing a big trade for someone like Beal.

However, the Wizards have shown zero interest in trading Beal, even for the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, sources tell ESPN. The Timberwolves (No. 1) and Warriors (No. 2) are both known to be hoping to trade their selections for an All-NBA caliber player like Beal (or Ben Simmons or Devin Booker), but it seems unlikely that such a deal will materialize, says Lowe.

For the Wizards to really consider the idea of moving Beal, he may have to tell the team he would prefer to play elsewhere, per Lowe. Perhaps that will happen down the road if Washington doesn’t bounce back from a second consecutive lottery finish, but it hasn’t to this point.

Here’s much more from Lowe:

Lowe confirms the Celtics have explored using their three first-round picks to trade up in the draft, but says Boston is considering a number of options with those picks, including trying to trade for a “solid veteran.” Since so many teams are in win-now mode, there aren’t many of those players available, according to Lowe, who says that Larry Nance Jr. and Dennis Schröder are among the players who could be under-the-radar targets for teams looking to upgrade their rotations.
Jarrett Culver‘s name has popped up in trade rumors, but Lowe thinks the Timberwolves would only move him in a package for a star, or for a draft pick that would help acquire a star. Lowe adds that he thinks Minnesota will dangle the No. 17 pick and James Johnson‘s expiring contract in search of a veteran contributor.
While Lowe thinks the Heat should be able to re-sign Goran Dragic on a big one-year deal, he expects it to be tougher for Miami to take the same approach with Jae Crowder, who will likely receive multiyear offers in the mid-level range.
Rival executives have pitched the idea of the Mavericks acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Jazz, but Lowe is skeptical there will be a match there and believes Dallas will have a tough time acquiring a third star via trade this offseason.
It’s unclear what sort of leaguewide interest there is in Magic forward Aaron Gordon. Lowe points to the Trail Blazers as a potential match, but says the two teams have never seriously discussed a swap involving Gordon and CJ McCollum and isn’t sure whether lesser assets like Zach Collins or Anfernee Simons would appeal to Orlando.
Lowe’s offseason preview is jam-packed with many more notes and is worth checking out in full. We relayed a number of Lowe’s other most intriguing tidbits in our stories earlier today, including items on the Bucks, Pistons, and Knicks.

Wizards Notes: Roster, Beal, Draft, Sheppard

October 28th, 2020 at 6:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With John Wall set to return and Bradley Beal still under contract for at least two more years, the Wizards have an intriguing roster heading into the 2020/21 season. Fred Katz and Danny Leroux of The Athletic examine the rest of Washington’s squad.

Given their desire to re-sign unrestricted free agent power forward Davis Bertans, the Wizards may only have the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions – along with their current draft picks – available to them to build out their roster. Upgrading the defense, particularly through the center position, is touted as a key arena for improvement.

There’s more out of DC:

In a conversation with J.J. Redick and Tommy Alter for their podcast Old Man And The Three, as captured in an NBA Central tweet, Bradley Beal elaborated on why he opted for a two-year, nearly $72MM contract extension with the Wizards last season. “You still want to be able to protect yourself and kinda be selfish,” Beal said. “How can I create some type of flexibility for myself if we aren’t winning, if I do choose to get out?”
Chase Hughes, Chris Miller, and Tyler Byrum of NBC Sports Washington discussed big men Onyeka Okongwu and James Wiseman as potential Wizards draft targets in the event that the team trades up from the No. 9 pick.
As we previously relayed, team GM Tommy Sheppard stressed an interest in applying load management principles to team play more going forward.

Eastern Notes: Dinwiddie, Anthony, K. Porter, Beal

October 16th, 2020 at 8:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving returning to action next season, Spencer Dinwiddie sees himself in a Draymond Green-style role with the Nets. The combo guard made that comment on ESPN’s The Jump (hat tip to NetsDaily.com).

“Obviously, we don’t know who’s going to start, who’s coming off the bench, That’s with KD and Kyrie excluded, of course,” he said. “But really with all of this being formed, I view myself if we’re going with the Golden State model as the Draymond Green, the glue. Sometimes, I get 10 boards, sometimes, I get 10 assists. Sometimes, I score a little bit more because obviously, we have a super dynamic point guard. We also have the greatest scorer of all-time.”

Dinwiddie will make approximately $11.5MM next season and holds a $12.3MM option on his 2021/22 contract.

We have more from the around the Eastern Conference:

Carmelo Anthony is working out in New York City and it’s not far-fetched to think the free agent forward will sign up for a second stint with the Knicks, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The possibility of Anthony coming back to New York would increase if it trades for Chris Paul, Berman continues. Knicks president Leon Rose, Anthony’s former rep, is open to an Anthony reunion even without a Paul deal, Berman adds.
Cavaliers second-year swingman Kevin Porter Jr. posted a troubling message on social media, but he’s fine, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Porter raised concerns with a since-deleted message of “You ever wish to see the end of your time?” However, a source told Fedor that Porter was OK and has been warned by the front office about posting similar messages in the future.
Bradley Beal is coveted by many teams but he wouldn’t mind finishing his career with the Wizards, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype relays. Beal made that statement on the “On the Road with Buck & Phil” podcast. “That would mean the world, man. I’m a loyal guy. I want to be here,” he said. “I’m here. I’ve signed my extension. And that will mean the world to me. That honestly would you know, being able to finish your career in one place? You know, you don’t see that in today’s game.”

New York Notes: Carmelo, LeVert, Beal, Holiday

September 1st, 2020 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Is a Carmelo Anthony–Knicks reunion at all possible? Don’t count on it, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Anthony has revived his career with the Trail Blazers and would prefer to re-sign with Portland. However, Anthony has been on team president Leon Rose’s radar since he took the job in early March, Berman continues, and the Knicks have an opening at small forward.

We have more on the two New York City teams:

Will the Nets get a third star to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving? They may already have something to close to that in Caris LeVert, Brian Lewis of the New York Post opines. LeVert was the team’s best player in Orlando and the alternatives, unless they can pry Bradley Beal from the Wizards, are mostly question marks. Guards such as Jrue Holiday (potential opt-out after next season) and Victor Oladipo (knee issues) may not necessarily be an upgrade over LeVert, Lewis adds.
Whether to keep LeVert or trade him in a package for another star is also the topic of choice for HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. A majority of scouts polled by Scotto believe the Nets should hold onto LeVert, though a deal that would net Beal or perhaps Holiday would change the equation.
In case you missed it, the Nets have formally interviewed coach Jacque Vaughn, who hopes to have the interim tag removed.