Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are the two reported finalists for Wizards guard Bradley Beal as trade talks focus in on NBA title contenders.
Bradley Beal better invest in a good pair of sunglasses because it looks like he’s heading somewhere a whole lot more sunny than Washington.
The Wizards are in “serious talks” with the Suns and Heat, who have emerged as finalists for the star guard, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Beal has a no-trade clause but best guess says he’d waive it to go play alongside either Kevin Durant and Devin Booker or Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
NBA Rumors: Bradley Beal trade talks focus on Suns and Heat
Beal is a three-time All-Star. At his peak, he averaged 31.3 points in the 2020-21 regular season and 30 points in the playoffs.
However, he’s missed significant time over the last four seasons, playing 60 or fewer games in each of them.
Last year, Beal averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 50 games of action.
He’s not in the greatest form of his career but the soon-to-be 30-year-old could still add a valuable presence to a title contender. As soon as word of a potential trade emerged, he was linked to Eastern Conference hopefuls like the Heat and Bucks. The Suns are putting an intriguing Western Conference option on the table.
The complication with trading for someone like Beal is always cost. His current contract pays him $50 million per year. Then there’s the question of what the Wizards want in return. Phoenix and Miami need to find a way to avoid becoming that meme of the beautifully rendered back of the horse only for the front of the picture to look like a crudely drawn stick figure.
The fact that Washington is going to be able to pit the two teams against each other in negotiations will only make it more difficult to come out of the deal with a third star and a roster capable of supporting them.