NBA Rumors: Beal Granted Permission to Speak with Teams, Top Prospect to Meet with MJ

The Washington Wizards have granted star Bradley Beal and his representatives permission to speak with teams the three-time All-Star has interest in being traded to, league sources tell B/R.

Beal and the Wizards have agreed to work together on finding the guard a new home should the franchise choose to embark on a rebuild. Beal has not requested a trade, sources say.

It's believed Beal will only consider teams with a chance to win.

He owns a rare no-trade clause, giving him authority to veto and approve potential trades, sources say. The Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are expected to talk with Beal and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, sources say.

The possibility of Beal being moved is as real as it's ever been, one league executive described it.

Beal, who turns 30 in June, posted 23.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds last season. He signed a five-year, $251 million supermax extension with Washington last July.

Despite becoming a regular in recent rumor mill activity, Beal has spent the last 11 seasons with the Wizards, the franchise that drafted him back in 2012.

Since joining the league, Beal has averaged 22.1 points per game—the 16th-highest mark among all active players—but the Wizards have experienced little team success. Washington hasn't made it past the second round of the playoffs during Beal's tenure, and the team has missed the playoffs altogether in four of the last five seasons.

Clippers, Ty Lue Unlikely to Reach Extension

Tyronn Lue and the Los Angeles Clippers are unlikely to agree to an extension this offseason, meaning the head coach will finish out the remainder of his contract and could hit the free-agent market as early as the summer of 2024, league sources tell B/R.

Lue, 46, has two years left on his deal, with the second year being a team option, sources say.

The Phoenix Suns had interest in Lue before hiring Frank Vogel but the Clippers would have requested premium draft capital, sources say, which the Suns are depleted of.

No official contact was made between Clippers and Suns regarding Lue, sources say.

Scoot Henderson Meeting with MJ

Consensus top-three 2023 NBA draft prospect Scoot Henderson is expected to meet with current Charlotte Hornets governor Michael Jordan on Monday in North Carolina, league sources tell B/R.

The Hornets announced Friday that Jordan will sell his majority stake in the Hornets but will still maintain a minority ownership share of the team.

The Hornets are in the final stages of deliberating who they'll draft at No. 2 in the 2023 NBA draft on June 22. Henderson and Brandon Miller are under consideration.

Charlotte is also weighing trading the pick, as the New Orleans Pelicans are contemplating moving up from No. 14 to get the second overall pick with the hopes of selecting Henderson to be their starting lead guard.

Pacers' No. 7 Pick Available, Celtics Guards On the Market

The Indiana Pacers have made the No. 7 pick available for a trade, sources tell B/R. The Pacers are said to be in the market for a starting-caliber wing.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are fielding calls on the multitude of quality guards on their roster, sources tell B/R.

With Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Payton Pritchard all deserving of playing time, Boston is looking to create some position balance, sources say.

McMillan Taking Year Off

Former Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan is taking at least a year off from coaching, as he politely declined the opportunity to join the Dallas Mavericks' coaching staff to spend time with family, league sources tell B/R.