Bradley Beal is a very good player — a superstar, actually — but unfortunately for him, he plays for a bad team.
That does, however, make him a candidate to be involved in a potential trade, assuming the Wizards are willing to part ways with him. His stock is sky-high, and he can immediately improve a possible contender, contributing on both ends of the floor. And given that he can both create his own shot and play off the ball, he’s versatile enough to fit on virtually any other team, from a schematics standpoint.
But the Wizards don’t seem intent on moving Beal, although they haven’t necessarily said they’re not fielding calls about his availability, so maybe they’d pull the trigger if blown away by an offer. They are in the midst of a rebuild, with a young roster, and a 15-26 record, making it highly unlikely they’ll be able to even qualify for the Play-In tournament. And while the team does seem set on retaining Beal, he’s still expecting the unexpected, which is how many players have trained themselves to think during this time of year.
“As a vet, it’s always weird during this time because you never know what will happen,” Beal said, via Chase Hughes of NBC4 Washington. “It’s always quiet until the last day or the hours leading up to the deadline. So, you just kind of just sit and wait. You honestly just never know what will happen.”
He continued:
“I’ve seen guys traded at halftime of a game before. It’s a dog-eat-dog world come this time of year. I’m not sure if we’ll do anything, but I’m sure [general manager Tommy Sheppard] has been on the phones. Whatever he can come up with in the next 72, we’ll address it.”
Beal has the right mindset, and he’s certainly not alone in thinking that way.
