This week, it was reported that the Washington Wizards and Bradley Beal will work together on a trade if the franchise chooses to rebuild.
Beal, who turns 30 later this month, has been mentioned in trade rumors for several years now. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, as the three-time All-Star has considered his future during the last few offseasons, the one team he has stood out for him the most as a potential new home: the Miami Heat.
“If Beal had a formal list, which he never has before, then Miami would have been right there at the top of it,” Katz wrote on Thursday.
The Knicks considered Bradley Beal before just this week. In fact, they’ve already let necessary people know they would be interested.
Story here on Beal, where he considers the Knicks and the effects of a hypothetical trade for the 3-time All-Star: https://t.co/GYOHTwr7I1 pic.twitter.com/sHSS4T9Yh6
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) June 15, 2023
Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic also mentioned the Heat as a potential front-runner for Beal, with the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks among other teams weighing a run at the veteran shooting guard.
Beal, a first-round pick for the Wizards back in 2012, has played his entire 11-year career in D.C. He’s been loyal to the only franchise he’s ever known, but the timing might be right for both sides to move on.
Of course, there is also a matter of Beal’s massive contract, which will play a major factor in determining which franchises are most equipped to work out a trade for him.