Given his team’s status as the worst team thus far during the 2020-21 season, NBA rumors linking Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal in trade scenarios can’t be considered too surprising.
It was just this past weekend that the NBA’s leading scorer showed outward frustration during a game against the Brooklyn Nets. It makes sense. Beal, 27, is averaging an otherworldly 34.9 points per game for a Wizards team that has lost 12 of 16 to open the season.
While Washington’s brass continues to push back against a potential trade, other teams have seemingly been aligning pieces to pull off a Bradley Beal blockbuster. That now reportedly includes another bottom-feeder around the NBA.
Read More: 6 most realistic Bradley Beal trade packages
New Orleans Pelicans looking at possible Bradley Beal trade
“The New Orleans Pelicans’ interest in Beal remains one of the biggest open secrets around the league, and it seems their massive haul for Jrue Holiday would be the Wizards’ required starting point in any negotiations,” Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report noted. “With a trove of future draft capital, veteran contracts and five recent first-round picks under the age of 25 (not counting Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram), New Orleans has the flexibility to offer Washington a package that rivals what Brooklyn paid to acquire Harden, and still surround Beal with a winning combination around him.”
Sitting at 7-11 on the season and with NBA rumors linking the Pelicans to numerous trade possibilities, it’s clear that front office head David Griffin wants to get something done.
New Orleans’ struggles have coincided with Brandon Ingram’s rise to superstardom and second-year forward Zion Williamson taking that next step. It is the rest of the team that has struggled keeping the Pelicans competitive through the early portion of the 2020-21 season.
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As noted in the report, New Orleans has a ton of assets it can offer up to the Wizards in a potential Bradley Beal trade without including either Ingram or Williamson (not happening).
The Pelicans have multiple first-round picks stemming from the Jrue Holiday trade to the Milwaukee Bucks this past offseason. They also have youngsters in that of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes and Kira Lewis Jr. who could interest Washington.
Even then, the Pelicans would have a ton of competition for Beal should Washington actually place the NBA’s top scorer on the trade block.
NBA rumors link Bradley Beal to Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets
According to Sports Betting, these three teams join the Pelicans as odds-on Vegas favorites to land Beal in a blockbuster trade. Here are the odds.
- New Orleans Pelicans: +250
- Denver Nuggets: +300
- Golden State Warriors: +350
- Dallas Mavericks: +400
There’s certainly a lot of moving parts here. Denver pushed back against including young forward Michael Porter Jr. in a trade for James Harden prior to the three-time reigning scoring champion being dealt to the Brooklyn Nets. Given that Beal is much younger than his fellow high-scoring counterpart, it remains to be seen if that might change.
As for the Warriors, they did call up Houston about a James Harden before the season. That came prior to Klay Thompson suffering a torn Achilles during a workout.
Boasting an 11-9 record, Golden State is attempting to find a happy medium between continued contention and moving to the future. I am not too sure that general manager Bob Myers would be open to trading rookie No. 2 pick James Wiseman. He looks like a generational talent young his career.
It makes sense that NBA rumors would also link the Dallas Mavericks to a Bradley Beal trade. They are currently in the midst of a five-game losing streak. No one has stepped up behind MVP candidate Luka Doncic. Unfortunately, Dallas does not have the draft capital that Golden State and New Orleans boast in order to pull off a blockbuster of this ilk.