NBA Rumors: Wizards' Bradley Beal Has Interest in Linking With Jayson Tatum on Celtics

Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal reportedly has an interest in linking up with Jayson Tatum on the Boston Celtics.
NBA Rumors: Wizards' Bradley Beal Has Interest in Linking With Jayson Tatum on Celtics
NBA Rumors: Wizards' Bradley Beal Has Interest in Linking With Jayson Tatum on Celtics /

Over the last few weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Portland Trail Blazers have seen two of their stars linked to countless trade rumors. Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons hasn't requested a trade, but Philly's front office is rumored to be exploring potential deals with teams who are interested in the 25-year-old star.

As for the Blazers, they are garnering some calls regarding the availability of their longtime All-Star Damian Lillard as he has reportedly grown concerned about Portland's front office's ability to build a contender around him. 

While Lillard and Simmons were the talk of the NBA's trade market over the last few weeks, a new star's name has entered the conversation. According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, Washington Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal is considering making a trade request to get out of DC. 

The former third-overall pick has been a part of the Wizards' organization since 2012. Although Beal has helped keep the Wizards competitive enough to make the playoffs in five of the nine seasons he played with them, they were never truly a championship competitive squad.

The Wizards cracked the last playoff seed in the Eastern Conference this past season but fell short to the Sixers in five games. As they moved on from head coach Scott Brooks, Washington is beginning a new era. Will Beal be a part of it? Or will he look to jump ship and land on a contender at age 28?

According to Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report, Beal has a specific team in mind he would like to join if he does go through with requesting a trade, and the Wizards are willing to grant his wishes.

Per Dumas, Beal would welcome a trade to the Boston Celtics as he would play alongside the young All-Star Jayson Tatum. Although the Celtics have been playoff contenders ever since Tatum's rookie season, they always seemed to have a missing piece. Two years ago, Boston attempted to fill that void with Kemba Walker, but they officially pulled the plug on that plan.

Adding Beal would certainly boost the Celtics' chances of competing for a championship. However, it won't be easy for Boston to land the standout scorer. A player like Beal is going to generate significant interest around the league. Many teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, will undoubtedly offer competitive packages the Wizards would have to consider. 

The chances of Washington's front office working with Beal to try and get him to a destination he desires is high, considering all that he's done for the Wizards over the last nine seasons. But at the end of the day, Washington is going to take the best deal for the team. If the Celtics can't offer that, then Beal could be headed elsewhere if he does, in fact, request a ticket out of DC.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA