This Potential Offseason Move Could Doom the Jazz for Years to Come
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Bradley Beal: multiple-time All-Star, former All-NBA guard, great at scoring the rock, all potentially available for trade. An idea that sounds like an enticing addition to a variety of teams, but one that would end as a death trap for many, especially for the Utah Jazz.
New ownership taking over for the Washington Wizards could lead to drastic overhauls for the franchise. As reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania & Josh Robbins, Bradley Beal could hit the market to join a new team as Washington may look to reset the clock as soon as this offseason:
Just In: The Washington Wizards and Bradley Beal will work together to find a trade for the three-time All-Star if the team elects to reset the roster in the near future, league sources tell me and @JoshuaBRobbins.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 14, 2023
Great news for Wizards fans, desperate for a change as their team has been in basketball purgatory for some time now. However, the Jazz can’t be the hero here to take on Bradley Beal for many reasons.
Specifically, here’s three glaring factors that stand out as to why a deal for Bradley Beal makes zero sense for the Jazz:
1. He Does Not Fit the Timeline
Beal’s entering his 12th NBA season for 2023-24, while also turning 30 in less than a month. For the Jazz, who have made most of their moves based on elevating and adding young talent, bringing in a vet ready to win now seems counter-intuitive.
The talent’s there, but in terms of what Utah has been working toward over the past season or so, this wouldn't make much sense. If the Jazz were intrigued by an elite scoring shooting guard, not trading Donovan Mitchell would have been the better decision.
2. He’s Way Too Expensive
In terms of worst contracts in the NBA, Bradley Beal is a contender for that top spot. He’s due about $200 million over the next four years, a contract value that matches up with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. So yeah, unless there is some unforeseen magical resurgence from an aging Bradley Beal, he is not worth that type of money.
Utah will have a ton of money this offseason, and they still should not have any interest here. Instead of using that cash for Beal, investing in a potential RFA from around the league or retaining some existing talent would be a better use.
3. He Simply Does Not Move the Needle
Let’s say hypothetically, the Jazz did decide to trade for Beal. How far would that team realistically go? We just saw Nikola Jokic dominate the NBA across the past couple of months, only losing four games throughout the playoffs. If players like Steph Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Jimmy Butler can’t give that team any trouble, I can promise Bradley Beal will not be doing much either.
For a team closer to winning a title like the Miami Heat or Philadelphia 76ers that has star talent on the roster already, this move is a lot more practical. For the Jazz though, a Beal trade would put them in the same boat the Wizards have been in for years. Nobody wants that.
Bottom Line: Avoid Bradley Beal at all costs.
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