Wizards' Bradley Beal on Trade Rumors: It's 'Flattering' but Also 'Bummed by It'

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal wasn't fazed for the most part when he was mentioned as a potential target for teams looking to add a big name ahead of the Feb. 7 NBA trade deadline. 

In an interview with HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy, Beal said the trade speculation was actually a positive in some ways:

"I wasn't bothered, honestly. In a way, it's kind of [confirmation] teams want me. It's kind of [flattering]. In a way, it's like, 'Dang, this is pretty cool.' But, at the same time, I hate change. You never want to have [to] up and move, you don't want to have to leave [for a new team and city]. Also, in a way, I think it pushed us to produce better. You want to be more productive when you're on the block. ... It's kind of a two-fold thing. On one hand, you're kind of excited about it. On the other hand, you're kind of bummed by it."

The Athletic's Kelly Iko reported last November the Wizards had essentially made everybody on their roster available, including Beal and fellow star John Wall. A month later, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix tweeted that fans should "expect teams to really start banging down the Wiz door" for Beal.

If the Wizards were ever going to deal Beal before he hits free agency in 2021, then this would've been an ideal time.

He's averaging career highs in points (25.7), rebounds (5.1) and assists (5.4) while shooting 35.0 percent from three-point range. John Wall is also recovering from a ruptured left Achilles tendon, which will potentially leave him out until February 2020.

Beal's value may never have been higher than it is now, and the Wizards can only hope to tread water—at best—until Wall returns to the court.

Washington decided to hold onto Beal, and the two-time All-Star remains as committed as ever to the organization.

During an event in Charlotte, North Carolina, for NBA All-Star Weekend, Beal said he's prepared to retire as a Wizards player, assuming the team wants to re-sign him. He also told reporters he had tried selling some of his fellow All-Stars on the idea of joining up with Washington in the future.