No. 3 – Bradley Beal
I know what you’re thinking: More Bradley Beal trade rumors? Yes, but hear me out before you start to panic. The Wizards still seem entirely committed to building around Beal, so a trade is very unlikely. However, you never know! Another team in desperate need may finally step up to the plate and blow the Wizards away with an offer they can’t refuse.
If that happens, then Washington should not hesitate to pull the trigger! Bradley Beal is coming off a career year where he averaged 31.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists and finished as the second-leading scorer in the NBA behind only Stephen Curry. His trade value is at an all-time high right now! If the Wizards are going to trade him, they need to take advantage of his sky-high value.
Of course, it would be awesome if Beal could retire with the team that drafted him back in 2012. But unfortunately, that’s highly unlikely nowadays. If you believe Tom Haberstroh, who recently said on the Standing Room Only podcast that the Wizards would prefer to be more like the Oklahoma City Thunder than the Phoenix Suns, then maybe a Beal trade is coming sooner than expected. If this is true, the Wizards would be willing to part with their franchise player for draft picks and young talent.
I’m not quite sure they’re at that stage, yet but it’s always smart to keep all options open. Before or during the draft feels like too early of a time frame to trade Beal away. It’s only right for the Wizards to give him and Westbrook to run it back at least one more time. But you never know what the front office will be presented with. The perfect deal could be out there.