Bradley Beal Trade Rumors: Wizards Star 'Highly Unlikely' to Be Moved by NBA Deadline

Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal is reportedly "highly unlikely" to get dealt before the 2022 trade deadline on Thursday.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported Friday (via HoopsHype) the only way Beal's status changes is if he "goes to management and requests to be traded," which hasn't happened.

Beal is no stranger to trade rumors after being the focus of pretty consistent speculation in recent years, but he's always pushed aside talk about a potential move.

That continued in November when he told Ava Wallace of the Washington Post he didn't spend much time worrying about the future. He can opt out of his two-year, $70.1 million contract to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end or exercise a player option for 2022-23.

"There are situations where it can loom over your head like, oh, damn, what am I going to do, where am I going to go, who am I going to sign with?" Beal said. "I don't think I have that problem. I'm here. This is what I'm making. I'm making a lot of money, and I'm comfortable with doing that, and I could stop today and be good [financially]."

The 28-year-old University of Florida product did tell Wizards governor Ted Leonsis he wants the ability to challenge for title contention on an annual basis, though.

"I'm not sitting here and saying we're going to hold up the Larry [O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy], but I want to be able to have those opportunities. I want to be able to see that that's reachable," Beal told Wallace.

Washington isn't at that level. It sits 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-27 record, which is one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final spot in the play-in tournament.

Beal's desire for playoff basketball combined with his ability to opt out in the offseason could put pressure on the front office to acquire some roster upgrades before the deadline.

The Wizards obviously need to have some level of confidence the three-time All-Star is going to stick with the franchise behind this season because they can't afford to lose him to free agency.

So, at least in that regard, it's a promising sign he's not being heavily discussed heading into the deadline and isn't expected to move.

That said, Washington has some work to do to get to the level Beal expects on an annual basis.