Wizards' Bradley Beal Trade: Does Star SG Still Make Sense for Mavs?
After years of rumors and speculation, it appears that Washington Wizards star shooting guard Bradley Beal could finally be traded to a new destination. The Wizards' new front office could be bracing for a rebuild, and if that's the case, it doesn't make a lot of sense for Beal to stick around.
"The Washington Wizards have granted star Bradley Beal and his representatives permission to speak with teams the three-time All-Star has interest in being traded to, league sources tell B/R," Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes wrote.
"Beal and the Wizards have agreed to work together on finding the guard a new home should the franchise choose to embark on a rebuild. Beal has not requested a trade, sources say."
Beal, who will turn 30 years old in a little less than two weeks, is still a high-quality player, as he averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 50 games for the Wizards this year while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from deep. However, he's not good enough to get Washington over the top, and he's not bad enough to allow them to bottom out for a full rebuild ... which is why he could potentially be traded in the next week or so.
We've spitballed the idea of the Dallas Mavericks trading for Beal for a number of years at DallasBasketball.com, and it's ironic that, now that he's truly become available, he might not make as much sense for this Dallas roster like he used to.
The Mavs already have Luka Doncic on a supermax deal, and he'll make $40 million next season. Kyrie Irving, who the Mavs hope to re-sign to a long-term contract soon after free agency opens in two weeks from now, is likely going to be in that $40-million ballpark as well. As good of an offensive trio as Doncic, Irving and Beal would be, the team's defense and depth would be severely lacking with all three of them making over a combined $120 million per year.
So, as surprising as it may sound coming from us, it might not be in Dallas' best interest to pursue Beal now that he's finally become available. The Mavs will have the star power they need with Doncic and Irving, assuming Irving re-signs. From there, they must focus on adding depth around those two through the draft or through other sensible trades or signings.
Now, if the opportunity arrises to trade for a star player of LeBron James' caliber, then that becomes a whole different situation that will need to be examined, but Beal, simply put, isn't that type of player.
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