NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Bradley Beal, Al Harrington and More
The future is always something of a mythical construct in sports because it never fully arrives. After all, there is always a future at any given moment, and teams are typically attempting to acquire or keep young talent to bolster that future.
Things don't always go as scripted in the NBA.
Still, some decisions about the imagined future of a franchise are easy, such as the Washington Wizards holding onto budding superstar Bradley Beal.
That is reportedly the plan in Washington, and it should come as no surprise to anyone who watched Beal thrive in last season’s playoffs. Read on to find the latest rumors surrounding Beal and the rest of the NBA.
Bradley Beal
Shams Charania of RealGM passed along the latest on Beal:
“As league executives believe in Beal’s ability to command a maximum salary extension, the Wizards have made clear around the NBA that they’ll do whatever necessary to secure Beal’s long-term deal, sources told RealGM.”
Washington should do whatever is necessary to keep Beal. He is only 21 years old and already blossoming into a star. He averaged 17.1 points a game last season, but that went up to 19.2 in the playoffs. Beal is a threat to shoot from deep, attack the rim off the dribble or set teammates up with solid passes and is comfortable playing alongside another star in John Wall.
It’s not that difficult to envision a scenario where Beal is widely considered among the best couple of shooting guards in the league in a few years given his age and potential, especially if he continues to develop.
For his part, Beal seems to have the right goals in mind, via Charania:
"Money never will change who I am. I kind of distance myself from the business part because when you get too caught up in money, it takes your mind off why you really play the game. I play for the love of it. I’m not going to think about contracts or any of that. If that [max] contract is what it is, then it is what it is. But it’s not going to change who I am. Money never will.
"
The scary thing about the Wizards is that they have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference even though Beal missed the beginning of the year with a fractured hand. Once he is 100 percent again and established as an offensive threat, the NBA Finals really is a possibility.
Washington is certainly in win-now mode with veterans like Paul Pierce, Marcin Gortat and Nene, but the Beal and Wall combination is the future in the nation’s capital. That is a two-party system that everyone in Washington can get behind.
Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders passed along the latest on Al Harrington:
“According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Houston Rockets are considering signing 16-year veteran forward Al Harrington, who was recently cut in China in order to allow him to pursue a NBA return.”
Harrington played with Beal in Washington last season for 34 games and averaged 6.6 points a night. Considering the Houston Rockets are missing Terrence Jones with health concerns, Harrington could shore up some depth in the short-term future.
His versatility would be critical because he could theoretically spell James Harden and Trevor Ariza for stretches.
Harden and Ariza are averaging the most minutes per night on the team (37.1 and 36.1, respectively) and need fresh legs before the playoffs. Harrington is not really a shooting guard for Harden, but the Rockets could put Harrington at small forward and shift Ariza over for stretches. Harrington could also directly sub in for Ariza.
The Rockets are always looking to surround Dwight Howard with shooters, and Harrington has connected on 35.2 percent of his three-point attempts in his career. Between his ability to hit the three and bolster the overall depth, Harrington seems like a solid match for the Rockets.
Los Angeles Lakers
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com passed along an update on the Los Angeles Lakers:
Few teams in the league have been crippled by injuries like the Lakers, as Nash, Julius Randle and Xavier Henry are all out for the season, and Ryan Kelly is dealing with a torn hamstring. Thanks to that attrition, this is the second exception the league has approved for the Lakers.
The exception for Nash is worth half Nash’s salary for the year, or nearly $4.851 million. If the Lakers are going to make a move, be it through free agency, waivers or a trade, it has to be done by March 10.
Los Angeles may not be playing for much this season, but it still needs healthy bodies on the floor to compete on a nightly basis. One way to get just that may be to use this exception and provide an opportunity for a free agent to make his mark.
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