On June 14, Shams Charania revealed that the Washington Wizards were working with franchise cornerstone Bradley Beal to find a trade the veteran would agree to. Beal has played his entire career in Washington after being drafted in 2012. However, the Wizards have never been able to put a team around Beal that would contend in any meaningful way.
A variety of teams were immediately floated as good theoretical fits for Beal. However, Beal’s incredibly weighty contract ($207.7 million over the next four seasons) is a major part of the negotiations. Furthermore, Beal will be going from being the top player on the Wizards to like the second or third player on another team. A figure like $207.7 million is a lot of money for a guy who isn’t your best player. Despite this, the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks have both emerged as early suitors for the veteran's services. Now, new rumors indicate that a Western Conference team are also joining the mix.
Kings Reach Out To Wizards About Beal
According to Charania, the Sacramento Kings have had initial trade talks with the Wizards about acquiring Beal. Per Charania's tweet, "it’s believed Beal would consider Sacramento given his no-trade clause." The Kings snapped their 15-year playoff drought this season and appear to be a blossoming force in the Western Conference. The Kings are also only $50 million over the cap, which is a figure lower than both the Heat and the Bucks.
However, Charania noted that "right now there does not appear a clear pathway for the two sides." This is likely a result of the Kings being unwilling to part with much of their young core, as they would want to add Beal as a veteran leader to that team. This would limit what the Kings could offer to the Wizards in exchange for Beal. Despite this, it's a sign that Beal is a hot commodity. This could also be a good sign for the Chicago Bulls, who have reportedly begun to gauge interest in Zach LaVine. Where do you want to see Beal go? Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
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