Before being traded to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook attempted to urge then-teammate Bradley Beal to request a trade to get away from the Washington Wizards.
Fans all over the league have been urging Bradley Beal to get free from the Washington Wizards but time after time, he has reasserted his commitment to the organization. On Monday, a report from The Athletic revealed that fans aren’t the only ones nudging Beal to demand a trade out of D.C. — but even, his latest superstar teammate, Russell Westbrook tried to talk him into leaving the Wizards before Westbrook was traded to the Lakers this offseason.
According to the report, some weeks before Westbrook approached Wizard’s owner Ted Leonsis about getting the former MVP to his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers, approached then-teammate Beal about them both asking out of Washington.
“Short of Beal showing a desire to also request a trade, Westbrook was hopeful Beal would at least support his efforts to get to L.A. — which, sources said, Beal did.”
Beal’s excellent scoring ability and playmaking have made him a hot commodity in the league. Over the last two seasons, he has been a subject of trade rumors and has often had to field questions about him requesting a trade. He hasn’t budged. In fact, he’s continued to hearken on the fact that he loves the city and the team.
Last year, at a point where the Wizards were struggling through the trenches, Beal asserted that despite his frustrations, he did not want to leave the team.
Westbrook got his wish and was sent to the Lakers, who according to the aforementioned The Athletic’s report, had recruited for Beal amongst other star players before finally landing Westbrook.
With Westbrook gone, Beal returns to being the Wizard’s lone frontman. The team isn’t projected to be as abysmal as it was in 2019 because of the additions of Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma and Montrez Harrell, but they will likely find themselves clawing for a play-in spot in the East.