Bradley Beal

The Washington Wizards were part of the biggest trade this offseason, sending Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers. Westbrook tried to convince Bradley Beal that he should request a trade out of Washington as well, but Beal declined. If the Wizards start slow, that may change.

Beal loves playing for the Wizards and they love having him on the team. They built up the roster around him, as he has a pretty strong supporting cast despite not having a second star in the mix yet.

Washington should once again challenge for a playoff spot, but they have to be realistic about the ceiling of this team. Bradley Beal will likely decline his option and become a free agent next summer. Unless they can secure a long-term commitment from him, trade rumors will persist centered around him.

The Wizards cannot afford to let Beal enter free agency, running the risk of him leaving the team without any compensation. If they are struggling and the season is looking like a bust, they will have to do what is best for the organization and that is likely trading their star shooting guard.

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Trading Bradley Beal would land Washington quite a package in return. They would likely be able to remain competitive in the short term while drastically improving their long-term outlook with the assets they would have compiled.

Expect trade rumors involving Bradley Beal to persist up until the NBA Trade Deadline, especially if Washington isn’t playing good basketball.