Kendrick Nunn, Bradley Beal, Duncan Robinson (Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal has reportedly ‘welcomed’ each of the following teams in a trade scenario.
After multiple seasons of saying he wants to stay where he’s at, Wizards guard Bradley Beal may be looking for a way out.
Jake Fisher of Bleacher Report ” is reporting that Beal knows it’s critical to decide what he wants to do before the 2021 NBA Draft on July 29.
“He knows he has to make a decision before the draft,” one source with direct knowledge of Beal’s thinking told Bleacher Report. For the past year, people familiar with Beal’s dedicated relationship to the Wizards have consistently rebuffed the notion he had interest in playing elsewhere. Yet a second source close to Beal, when contacted by B/R, confirmed the situation is now fluid.
In his eighth year as a pro, Beal turned in arguably his best season by averaging career-highs with 31.3 points and a 48.5 field goal percentage. The three-time All-Star has one-year, $34.5 million remaining on his deal which also includes a $37.3 player option for the 2022-23 season.
With the Wizards potentially looking to rebuild, Beal’s availability will have plenty of contending teams drawing interest.
The Heat may not have enough for Bradley Beal
Of the following three teams Beal is ‘welcoming’ in a trade, one that doesn’t have a first or second-round pick in the upcoming draft is the Heat. Miami has a first-round selection for next year, but does not have a first rounder in 2023.
This leads to the Heat deciding whether or not to part ways with their 2022 first round pick, which Washington would likely ask for, in addition to one of their young players.
After reaching the Finals during bubble play last summer, there’s been some regression from Miami’s key pieces who were critical to another deep playoff run.
Guard Tyler Herro missed 18 games with injuries and averaged just 9.3 points in four playoff games this season after averaging double digits in 21 postseason games last summer. He was eventually replaced in the starting lineup by Kendrick Nunn who also didn’t improve much in his second season. Three-point specialist Duncan Robinson also saw a dip in his three-point shooting percentage which dropped from 44.6 percent during his 2019-2020 campaign to 40.8 percent this season.
One or more of a combination of these players along with Miami’s 2022 first-round pick could be enough to swing a deal for Beal, but other teams could offer more.