Why Celtics Should Target Bradley Beal Despite Rumors of New Wizards Contract for SG
There's been a ton of speculation surrounding Bradley Beal early this offseason. Will the 29-year-old shooting guard be staying with the Washington Wizards, or could he be switching teams for the first time in his NBA career?
For right now, it appears Beal is going to be returning to Washington. But it's always important to remember how quickly things can change in this league.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported over the weekend that Beal is "very likely" going to opt out of his $36.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season and then immediately sign a five-year max contract with the Wizards. So, Beal is on a trajectory toward an 11th season in Washington.
But just because Beal will be getting a five-year deal from the Wizards doesn't mean he has to stay with them for the entirety of that contract. And if they don't start to have more success, it wouldn't be surprising if trade rumors started to pick back up down the line.
That's why it should be a priority for the Boston Celtics to continue to monitor Beal's situation in both the short- and long-term. They may be one star player away from winning an NBA title, and Beal could be a great fit to help push the Celtics to that top level.
Stadium's Jeff Goodman doesn't think Beal will remain content in Washington if the team continues to endure subpar seasons. And because of that, Goodman thinks there will be change for Beal later on, potentially one that will even bring him to Boston.
"I think a year from now he and his agent [Mark] Bartelstein say they want to be somewhere else, and then Boston goes to top of the list," Goodman said, per Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston. "Then it comes down to what happens this season, and can [Celtics president of basketball operations] Brad Stevens give enough for [Wizards general manager] Tommy Sheppard to make that deal."
Another factor to consider at that time will be Beal's salary, which is likely to be getting a lot larger soon. But that doesn't change the fact that the Celtics should find a way to make it work if they can convince the Wizards to send him to Boston in a trade.
Beal is a three-time All-Star who has averaged more than 22 points per game in each of the past six seasons. He was limited to 40 games in the 2021-22 campaign because of a left wrist injury, but he's continued to play at a high level when healthy.
It could end up being a waiting game for Boston, unless Beal quickly becomes unsatisfied in Washington. It may take a bit longer for that to happen, though, now that he's signing a new deal with the team (if it ever does, for that matter).
But the Celtics could also try to persuade the Wizards with a strong trade offer. Boston shouldn't be willing to part with Jayson Tatum, but it could want to put together a strong package that includes both solid players and draft capital to try to entice Washington.
It may not work in the near future, but the Celtics should still try to pursue Beal when possible, because a duo of Tatum and Beal could be a strong core for Boston to build around in the next chapter for the franchise.
