The Washington Wizards had a very busy couple of days before the NBA trade deadline this season as the team served as a facilitator for many contending teams looking to get veterans lucrative contracts off their books.
Washington made the deal to acquire multiple veterans at the deadline including Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart. They did the same last offseason when they landed Malcolm Brogdon in a draft night deal with the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Deni Avdija.
And while the team may have not made any blockbuster moves before the deadline, recent reports suggest that Wizards President Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins discussed the possibility of completing a huge deal to land an old friend.
Wizards nearly dealt for Bradley Beal
The Wizards reportedly "gave real consideration" to bring Beal back to Washington ahead of the deadline according to NBA Insider Marc Stein.
Washington would have put themselves in an interesting position making the move to bring in the star who's biggest flaw right now is the no-trade clause in his current contract that the Wizards originally gave him when he signed his supermax extension with the Wizards.
Many may be wondering, why would the team even make the deal to trade for Beal if they sent him to the Phoenix Suns in the first place. And while that's a valid question, the team is in a different position than where they were two years ago as they are now finally devoted to the future and a rebuild, instead of foolishly thinking they could build a contender around the 31-year-old.
While Beal would still have the power to control his next destination if he did get dealt with the Wizards, Washington could have given the star the luxury of showing he's still a top talent in the league and essentially cash in on Beal's value twice or potentially three times after the Suns seemingly gave up on his future fit in Phoenix.
Although this plan may seem far fetched, teams have become increasingly confident in making moves like this following what Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder did with Al Horford after landing the talented big man in a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers who were eagerly looking to move off the veteran.
Presti allowed for Horford to flourish in limited time on the court, proving he could still play at a high level, while showcasing his veteran presence and shutting him down to remain healthy while they navigated his future. Likely the same scenario a Beal return to Washington would have looked like.
Obviously, a deal didn't get done, but with the Suns expected to make moves in the offseason, it's clear the Wizards could be a team to monitor helping their old friend get to his next preferred destination.