Shams: Bradley Beal, Wizards Will Work Together on Trade If Team Opts for Rebuild

As the Washington Wizards determine their direction under new president of basketball operations Michael Winger, Bradley Beal is prepared to help facilitate a trade if the situation comes to that.

Per Shams Charania and Joshua Robbins of The Athletic, the three-time All-Star will work with the Wizards on potential trades if the team elects to rebuild its roster.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski noted talks about Beal's future in Washington are "expected to become more frequent" with the draft on June 22 and free agency starting on July 1.

Even if the Wizards go in a new direction, finding a landing spot for Beal could be difficult. His five-year, $251 million contract extension signed in July 2022 includes a full no-trade clause and a 15 percent trade bonus if he's dealt.

Appearing on Wednesday's episode of Keyshawn, JWill and Max (starts at 3:20 mark), ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted Beal's trade value might be lower than expected because of his contract.

The first order of business for the Wizards will be getting an answer from Kyle Kuzma ($13 million) and Kristaps Porziņģis ($36.02 million) about the player options for 2023-24 in their contracts.

Under previous general manager Tommy Sheppard, the Wizards had been reluctant to make any drastic moves that might cause them to bottom out. The result is they've primarily been stuck in purgatory with either 34 or 35 wins in each of the past three seasons and just one playoff appearance in the previous five years (2020-21).

Winger, who left his role as general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers to join the Wizards, has said he doesn't envision them becoming a tanking team. They may not have a choice if Beal gets traded for a less-than-expected return, and at least one of Kuzma and Porziņģis leaves in free agency.

Of course, the Wizards could also move forward with Beal as their cornerstone player and retool around him with new leadership in the front office taking over.

Beal has spent his entire 11-year NBA career in Washington since being drafted No. 3 overall in 2012. He ranks second in franchise history with 15,391 points, trailing only Elvin Hayes (15,551).