While the expectation is the Washington Wizards will soon add a third team to their blockbuster trade for Bradley Beal so that they can ship off Chris Paul, it looks like the organization is also open to the idea of holding onto the future Hall-of-Famer.
Over the weekend, the speculation finally came to an end when the Washington Wizards pulled the trigger on trading team great Bradley Beal. The trade will see the three-time All-Star head to Phoenix and league legend Chris Paul, some role players, and a boatload of second-round picks coming back in return.
Also Read: NBA trade tracker – NBA trades today with grades and analysis
Paul would prefer to be on a contending team next season since he has few years left in his career after turning 38 last month. After trading Beal, and potentially losing Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma in free agency this summer, the team will be far from a contender and will likely land in the lottery in 2024.
Washington Wizards record (’22-’23): 35-47
That is why the expectation since the deal was agreed to is that the team will look to add a third party and send Paul to a destination of his choosing. However, a new report claims that may not happen. On Tuesday, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski gave a surprise update on the Chris Paul and Washington Wizards situation.
“Chris Paul is waiting now for the Washington Wizards to continue trade conversations around the league about expanding this two-way deal with the Suns into a three-way deal that perhaps could send Chris Paul to a contender. … If they’re not able to do this, Washington imagines a scenario I’m told, where Chris Paul is their point guard this season. They’re in a rebuild, they’re reshaping this roster. I don’t sense they’re trying to bottom out and really tank-tank.”
– Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t Hoops Hype)
It would be surprising if the Wizards don’t trade Paul in the next week, however, they could also choose to be patient, and maybe a more beneficial deal materializes before the start of the season or before the NBA trade deadline next year.