The New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks are both interested in adding Washington Wizards All-Star guard Bradley Beal in a trade.
The Washington Wizards are fielding trade offers for All-Star guard Bradley Beal, and the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks are both interested.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal is the subject of trade rumors once again, but this time the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavs seek out his services. (Image: Getty)
Beal averages 22.0 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 24 games this season. He’s shooting 34% from 3-point range, and 52.5% from the floor. He missed 20 games this season while nursing two different hamstring injuries. He hasn’t played since Jan. 3 due to a low-grade left hamstring injury.
The Wizards typically listen to trade offers for Beal, especially at this time of year, but never dealt him because Beal wants to play his entire career in Washington, D.C. After several years of standing pat, this could year that the Wizards actually part ways with their superstar.
The Wizards (18-26) are in third place in the lo-fi Southeast Division. They play in one of the weakest divisions in the NBA with only one team — the Miami Heat — above .500. The Wizards are +1800 odds to win the Southeast, but they trail the first-place Heat by 5.5 games.
The Wizards are a long shot at +60000 odds to win the 2022-23 NBA championship, according to DraftKings. They’re also a long shot at +30000 odds to win the Eastern Conference title.
Selling on the Playoff Bubble
The NBA trade deadline is only three weeks away. Teams on Eastern Conference playoff bubble must make a serious decision in the next couple of weeks including the Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks. Will they make a run for the Play-In Tournament featuring the seventh-place through tenth-place teams? Or will they sell off their most trade-worthy assets and focus on rebuilding for next season?
If the season ended today, the Atlanta Hawks (22-22) would be headed to the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament as the ninth-place team.
The Chicago Bulls (20-24) are in tenth place, and they’re rumored to trade forward DeMar DeRozan, guard Zach LaVine, and/or center Nikola Vucevic.
The eleventh-place Toronto Raptors (20-25) are on the playoff bubble, but only a half-game behind the Bulls. The Bulls are also rumored to move some of their starters including shooting guard Fred VanVleet.
The Wizards are currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. They are 14.5 games out of first place, but only trail the tenth-place Bulls by two games.
The Wizards could try to fight their way to a spot in the Play-In Tournament, or they could attempt to hit it big in the NBA Draft Lottery. This year’s top prospects include big man Victor Wembanyama and guard Scoot Henderson.
Knicks Seek to Upgrade Backcourt with Beal Trade
With a 25-20 record, the Knicks are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They’re long shots at +18000 odds to win the NBA championship, and +6000 odds to win the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks want to remain in the top six in order to avoid the Play-In Tournament. They are a legit playoff squad, but need one more star to compete with the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Knicks whiffed on their pursuit of Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell in the offseason. The Jazz traded Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavs instead of the Knicks. The Knicks stockpiled draft picks to pursue Mitchell, but they could now use those future first-round picks available to add Beal in a trade.
The Knicks have a deep roster and the financial flexibility to acquire Beal in a trade. They could package together multiple first-round draft picks and several players to match Beal’s $43 million salary. If the Knicks include shooting guard Evan Fournier, forward Cam Reddish, point guard Derrick Rose, and center Isaiah Hartenstein, then those four players could match Beal’s salary.
Point guard Jalen Brunson found his groove in his first season with the Knicks, and he’s averaging 31.6 points per game in January. Some nights, Brunson plays like the team’s MVP. If the Knicks and Wizards work out a trade, then they’ll have one of the best backcourt tandems in the Eastern Conference with Beal and Brunson.
Mavs Need a Another Scorer Like Beal
The Mavs were on a heater a few weeks ago, but since cooled off. With a 24-21 record, the Mavs are in sixth place in the Western Conference.The Mavs are +2500 odds to win the NBA championship, and +950 odds to win the Western Conference.
The Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies are the two best teams out west, then there’s a second tier of teams that includes the New Orleans Pelicans, upstart Sacramento Kings, and the Mavs.
The Mavs needed an additional scorer and playmaker to go along with MVP-candidate Luka Dončić, if they expected to compete with the Nuggets and Grizzlies. Brunson started for the Mavs last season, but he signed a free-agent deal with the Knicks. His departure created a huge hole in the Mavs’ roster that they’ve yet to fill.
Dončić has been a one-man show for the Mavs this season, but they’ll need someone else in the playoffs aside from Dončić that can get easy buckets like Beal.
The Mavs acquired guard Spencer Dinwiddie from the Wizards in a trade for center Kristaps Porzingis at last season’s trade deadline. Dinwiddie came off the bench last season for the Mavs. Head coach Jason Kidd moved Dinwiddie into the starting lineup this season to replace Brunson. However, the results have been tepid.
You do not see many teams trade a player and get them back quickly, but that could happen to Dinwiddie. The Mavs could send him back to the Wizards in a package deal for Beal, along with small forward Tim Hardaway Jr. and rookie guard Jaden Hardy.
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