Currently in Tokyo with the USA Olympic team, Bradley Beal is still a hot topic of conversation here in the states among NBA teams. While his future with the Washington Wizards has been in question for several years now, it appears there is a chance he could potentially force his way out soon.
As first reported by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Bradley Beal is considering a trade request before the draft.
The timing would make sense, as any deal for Beal would likely contain a huge pick package. If he’s traded before the draft, there’s more opportunity for teams to package picks they own in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Fischer reported that if Beal were to request a trade, he would want to end up with a team with an ‘established winning environment’.
While he doesn’t have a formal list of preferred trade destinations at this point, the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers seem to be destinations Beal would welcome a trade to.
Beal is a superstar who could drastically raise the ceiling of a contender. Last season, he averaged 31.3 points, 4.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds per contest.
Shams Charania of The Athletic would go on to report that Beal spent the weekend giving his career some thought and could arrive at a decision during the upcoming week leading up to the draft, although this process of mulling his future has taken place over each of the past few summers.
Beal is eligible for a four-year, $182 million extension this summer with the Wizards. If he is traded and signs with another team or waits until next summer to sign long-term in Washington, he can earn or the 10-year veteran max extension worth $235 million over five years.
