Wizards Must Consider Moving Bradley Beal amid Lastest NBA Trade, Draft Rumors

This past season, the Washington Wizards missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. What they do next, in free agency, the draft and with star guard Bradley Beal, will be entirely up to new team president Michael Winger.

The former Los Angeles Clippers general manager has been hired as president of Monumental Basketball, which gives him leadership of the Wizards, Mystics and the G League's Capital City Go-Go.

If Winger chooses to embark on a full-on rebuild this offseason, he'll have the authority from Monumental Sports and Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis to do so, according to The Athletic's Josh Robbins:

"According to a league source, Winger will have full authority over constructing (and perhaps deconstructing) the Wizards' roster and the front offices within Monumental Basketball. Winger will submit a five-year plan to Leonsis for approval, then update the plan after each year. Most important, Leonsis would not be against a rebuild if that's the route Winger wants to take, a league source said."

Some degree of rebuilding may be in order whether Winger wants to blow the team up or not. Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porziņģis both have player options for next season and can become unrestricted free agents this offseason.

One or both key contributors may depart, and Washington faces a tough decision with Beal, who was signed to a five-year, $251 million deal last year. He will turn 30 in June and may want no part of a lengthy renovation in Washington. It's also fair to wonder if the Wizards can become competitive before he has an opportunity to opt out in 2026.

If Winger believes rebuilding is a better option than trying to load up for the 2023-24 season, the Wizards have to consider trading the Florida product this offseason. Now is the right time to flip the switch on a deal because of the new collective bargaining agreement.

The new CBA comes with harsh free-agent and trade limitations for franchises above the taxpayer level that will go into effect next offseason. Next year, for example, teams over a second taxpayer apron won't be able to take back more salary than they give in a trade.

As ESPN's Zach Lowe recently explained, this could lead to a robust trade market over the coming months.

He said the following on The Lowe Post podcast (h/t RealGM):

"This is all prelude to I think the next year in the NBA could be an unbelievable period of superstar and star player movement because you've just got a lot of sort of roiling situations. You have one year left before the really harsh trade rules kick into place after the 2023-24 season."

The Wizards need to take advantage of a strong trade market while they can because teams interested in Beal now may be far less eager to land him once the new restrictions are in place.

A strong 2023 draft class also makes the timing right for a Beal trade, if the Wizards are intent on building a contender from the ground up. Washington won't have any shot at the No. 1 pick and Victor Wembanyama, but a top-three selection could be obtainable.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t Bleacher Report's Adam Wells), the Portland Trail Blazers are "willing" to trade the third pick in the draft for a "pretty elite player."

Whether Beal qualifies as elite is open to interpretation, but it's worth noting that Portland viewed him as a "potential" target last offseason, according to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer.

Beal alone might not secure the third pick, but that's a great place to begin trade conversations. It would be a tremendous step for a rebuilding Wizards team to acquire a blue-chip prospect like Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson or Brandon Miller near the top of the draft order.

And if Washington could pry the third pick and keep its own eighth overall selection, it would be even better. Pairing one of those top lottery prospects with a player like Cam Whitmore or Taylor Hendricks would give Washington a strong young foundation upon which to build.

Of course, moving Beal won't be a simple process. His contract will be prohibitive for some teams, and it includes a no-trade clause. The Wizards would both have to sell the Trail Blazers on Beal while selling Beal on the idea of joining Damian Lillard in Portland.

The latter part of the equation may be an easier sell than convincing Beal to join a more talent-starved lottery team this offseason. Portland should be Washington's first call when it comes to moving Beal, but certainly not its last.

Washington could run the risk of alienating Beal, who has total control of his playing future, by kicking the tires on his trade market. But it's a risk Winger must be willing to accept.

If the Wizards don't at least try to see what they can get for him this offseason, they could be stuck in mediocrity and with no clear path to moving their biggest trade chip in order to jump-start the rebuilding process.