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NBA rumors kicked into overdrive on Saturday when it was revealed that Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal could request a trade away from the franchise in the coming days.
The shooting guard was one of the best players in the league this season, averaging over 30 points a game for the second consecutive campaign. However, the Wizards have a young team out with Beal and Russell Westbrook and will struggle to compete in the playoffs next year should they make the postseason again.
Should Beal request a trade prior to this week's NBA Draft, it gives him and the Washington Wizards the most flexibility to get a deal organized. Teams will be able to barter their draft picks on any potential offer that could entice the Wizards if they choose to do a full-scale rebuild.
While most of the league's teams will be in the hunt for Bradley Beal, there are few who could feasibly sign him and who would be a preferred landing spot for the 28-year-old. In this article, we will take a look at three such sides.
Three teams that would help Bradley Beal win a title
Bradley Beal has been a valiant servant to the Washington Wizards, spending his nine years in the NBA with them. He is a former All-Rookie Team member who helped the franchise return to becoming a regular in the playoffs. Alongside John Wall, he led the team to their highest finish since the Wizards' great side in the 1970s.
Having almost secured the scoring title this year and with the side's young core, it could be time for Beal to move on. He certainly won't be short of options. With that said, here are three teams that would be keen to have him on board.
#3 Miami Heat
Although there will be a plethora of teams lining up to sign Bradley Beal, the Miami Heat were named as one of four sides the shooting guard would welcome joining, by Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer.
Miami struggled this year after reaching the 2020 NBA Finals. Injuries, covid protocols and poor form all contributed to inconsistent results and a sweep in the first round of the playoffs. Nevertheless, they still have one of the best star duos in the league in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo which, if they were to add Beal to, would make them one of the favorites again in the East.
Signing Bradley Beal is less straightforward for the Florida outfit, though, than it is for the other teams on this list. They lack draft capital, are holding no picks this year and have their 2022 and 2023 first-round selections already tied up.
To entice the Washington Wizards into a trade, the Heat would likely have to lose young shooters Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, as well as Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala, to help with salary matching.
#2 Golden State Warriors
Bradley Beal has been linked with the Golden State Warriors for some time now and with the All-NBA guard potentially becoming available, the Dubs will certainly be in contention to make a considerable offer to Washington.
The Warriors' top stars have reportedly asked the organization's front office to pursue the Wizards superstar using their two lottery picks. Indeed, the ball club are in the best position if it is the draft power the East Coast team want. However, it is currently uncertain if the California franchise would be willing to mortgage away their future. A deal would likely also have to include Andrew Wiggins for matching purposes and potentially James Wiseman, the latter of whom is seen as the future centerpiece of the Warriors team.
Nevertheless, bringing in Beal would put the six-time champions in a strong position to win their fourth title in seven years. Combining the guard in the backcourt with fellow elite scorer Steph Curry would be a recipe for offensive magic. It would also take the pressure off Klay Thompson in rushing back from his rehabilitation.
#1 Boston Celtics
On Saturday morning, it was reported by Jason Dumas that Bradley Beal's preferred landing spot would be the Boston Celtics to play alongside close friend Jayson Tatum.
Beal would like to move to a team with an established winning environment and although the C's struggled this season, they were in the 2020 conference Finals less than a year ago. If they need additional shooters added to the roster in the offseason, Beal would go a long way in helping their offense. However, to bring in the three-time All-Star, Boston would likely have to part ways with developing young star Jaylen Brown.
Brown had his best season yet for the Celtics, averaging 24.7 points and six rebounds while earning his first All-Star call-up. Although the C's would be reluctant to trade the 24-year-old, Beal's superior scoring, leadership and experience would help the franchise keep within touching distance of the Eastern Conference's top sides.
There could be a way around letting Brown go for the Celtics. Al Horford's massive contract would go a long way toward matching salaries and they could package in their future picks and a sign-and-trade for Evan Fournier, who plays in the same position as the Wizards star.
