How Close Were Knicks to Trading For Bradley Beal?
The New York Knicks were reportedly at least somewhat close to conjuring Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.
Beal, known for his pricey contract and his lasting loyalty to capital hardwood, is on his way to the desert after a reported deal with the Phoenix Suns would send Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and late draft picks the other way.
It's a blockbuster deal, originally reported on Sunday, mere days into the official NBA offseason, one that creates Phoenix's latest attempt at a big three, as the star-crossed Beal is set to join Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
The Knicks have made no secret about their desire to add another name-brand talent to their fold after their most successful season in a decade. Despite the no-trade clause attached to his contract, Beal was reportedly on their radar before Washington finally pulled the trigger this week.
NBA insiders are hinting that the Knicks were still on the radar when the deal went down: David Aldridge of The Athletic says that the Knicks "were in heavy for a while," likely hinting at a big transfer that could've included some of their future draft pick cabinet as well as valuable names outpacing their pay like Immanuel Quickley.
Zach Lowe of ESPN concurs, saying that the Knicks "sniffed around Beal" before the Suns prevailed. He did, however, declare that there was a sense of restraint to the Knicks' urges and he further advised the Knicks to stay out of the Damian Illard proceedings.
"I honestly think Brunson is so good that I wouldn't go hard for Beal, and I wouldn't go hard for Lillard," Lowe said. "I don't really get the NY-Lillard thing. Brunson is good enough–the last time we saw him he was scoring 40 points on a bum ankle against the Heat in the playoffs, like every game.
"I like my team, I think we're a good team, playoff team, solid team. I'm saving my chips…small guard is not the place I'm going. & I don't feel the need to upgrade from Jalen Brunson at cost, if you're talking about a Brunson for Lillard. I'm fine the way they are."
Granted almost complete leverage over his fate thanks to his no-trade clause, however, Beal was reportedly most sought by recent NBA finalists Phoenix and Miami.
From New York's perspective, getting Beal (similar to the hypothetical Donovan Mitchell deal) would've been an unnecessary, avoidable press of the fast-forward button on the franchise timeline, one that would've upped the pressure in what will be an intriguing yet dangerous season. Beal's recent injury history (having missed 74 games over the past two) likely also caused the Knicks to hit pause.
The Knicks will likely linger in any remaining conversation about stars on the move as the summer progresses. When it came to acquiring Beal, however, this loss could win up be a win that sets the pace for the offseason.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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