NBA Rumours: Bradley Beal could force a trade from the Washington Wizards
What's the rumour?
With July quickly coming to a close, most of the summer's big deals have already been completed. However, Bradley Beal is a name that continues to be linked with a trade and Dan Devine of The Ringer believes the 26-year-old may look to force through a trade away from the Washington Wizards:
If the evaluation process leads him to decide he'd like to ply his trade elsewhere though, he could follow in the footsteps of the many other stars who have exerted their influence to find a new home before they could reach the open market.
In case you didn't know...
Beal was drafted with the third overall pick by the Wizards back in the 2012 NBA draft and the guard has struck up a notable partnership with John Wall. He has made more than 500 regular-season appearances while making four trips to the playoffs, although the Wizards could only manage 32 wins during the 18/19 season.
With Wall set to miss the entire upcoming campaign with a serious Achilles injury, Washington's prospects of competing in the immediate future appear bleak and Beal is yet to respond to the organisation's latest contract extension offer.
The heart of the matter
The Wizards have repeatedly stated their intent to build around Beal, although the 2019 offseason has demonstrated that players usually have the last say on where they want to be playing. If Beal was to request a trade, it is difficult to imagine the Wizards turning down a significant offer and plenty of teams would be willing to go all-in on the guard.
What's next?
Beal is currently mulling over a three-year $111 million contract extension and if he turns it down, he could be eligible for a 5-year, $254M supermax after next season.