The Washington Wizards recently made it clear that they would look to trade their franchise player Bradley Beal this offseason, which indicates they’re going into a full rebuild. An All-NBA talent like Beal becoming available doesn’t happen very often, and there are many teams that could desperately use his services.
While Beal hasn’t proved to be a winner yet, he can add so much to a team’s offense, with his range and ability to create space. Which teams are best suited to trade for the 29-year-old?
Beal Trade with the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Bradley Beal, Taj Gibson, 2023 #42 pick
Washington Wizards receive: Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Jaden Springer, 2024 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick
Trading for Beal means that Philadelphia can add firepower that may convince James Harden to stay in the City of Brotherly Love after reports came out that he would likely decline his player option and sign elsewhere. Running Harden at the 1 means he has another top-tier scorer to distribute to in Beal, alongside league MVP Joel Embiid.
For Washington, they get their next franchise guard in Tyrese Maxey. The 22-year-old is coming off a season where he averaged 20.3 points and 3.5 assists while starting just 41 games. They need him because Johnny Davis is proving to be a poor selection in last year’s draft thus far.
The reason the Wizards get so many picks on top of Maxey is that they have to take on the Tobias Harris contract ($36 mil/yr). Despite the solid numbers, he is very much declining at this point in his career, and he doesn’t fit the Wizards’ rebuild, so it’s compensation for the lack of cap space. The draft capital is more than sufficient for a player like Beal.
Beal Trade with the Miami Heat
Miami Heat receive: Bradley Beal, Delon Wright, 2023 #42 pick
Washington Wizards receive: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic, 2023 #18 pick, 2027 first-round pick
Miami would finally get the offensive weapon they need to take them over the top after a disappointing ending to a magical Finals run. Erik Spoelstra has a great group of defenders, but the Heat cracked 100 points just once in the NBA Finals. Beal would’ve made that series interesting and can take a load off of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo’s shoulders. Delon Wright is a nice complimentary guard and the #42 pick adds depth.
Similar to Maxey in Philadephia, the Heat have a young star in Tyler Herro that can be Washington’s next franchise guard. Herro is a bench player that averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 2023. Imagine if he was the main option surrounded by young talent.
Nikola Jovic, although receiving limited time his rookie year, was Miami’s first-round selection last year, and has the potential to be great. In terms of draft picks that Washington would receive, the #18 pick just means another young project on top of the #8 pick they already have. It builds a nice core in the nation’s capital.
Beal Trade with the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers receive: Bradley Beal, 2026 first-round pick, 2023 #59 pick
Washington Wizards receive: Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Justice Winslow, 2023 #3 pick
This is a wild one. First, we need to talk about what Portland is sending out. In this scenario the Trail Blazers would try to keep Damian Lillard and continue to build around him, giving away the young core in Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. Simons is a proven star in the making, and Sharpe has immense potential given the right situation.
The #3 pick is the true prize for Washington. This would turn into Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, and either player is heaven for Wizards fans. The package may be a little too much for Beal because of how good each individual export can be, but the asking price for an offensive weapon like his is going to be high.
As for Portland, they give Lillard his best teammate since LaMarcus Aldridge. It brings back similar vibes to when they had CJ McCollum in 2019, making the Western Conference Finals. The Trail Blazers would likely have a starting lineup of Lillard, Beal, Matisse Thybulle, Jerami Grant, and Jusuf Nurkic, meaning they have high-scoring guards on offense, with their only concern being depth. There is a chance Grant gets dealt for better defensive players/bench pieces, but getting Beal means Dame stays in Oregon.
Beal Trade with the New York Knicks
New York Knicks receive: Bradley Beal, Kendrick Nunn
Washington Wizards receive: RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, 2024 first-round pick (via WAS), 2024 first-round pick (via DAL), 2025 second-round pick (via DET)
New York gets a third star to form an offensive trio between Beal, Jalen Brunson, and Julius Randle. While Randle did play like a deer in headlights in the playoffs, Washington would never take him in a trade for Beal, meaning that he stays and the Knicks add a perennial All-Star. A huge problem for this team is wing shooting, which immediately gets fixed in this trade. Not to mention, Kendrick Nunn fills the void at the backup point guard spot. Immanuel Quickley had that role but was never really a true point guard. Nunn provides experience off of the bench.
As a Knicks fan, I don’t mind giving away two of our young talents for an offensive savant, especially when we lacked that against the Heat in the second round. The Wizards get the star potential of RJ Barrett and Quickley, along with picks for the future.
Knicks fans, while it may seem like the organization is giving up too much draft capital for Beal, you have to remember something before you all crucify me: these aren’t our picks. Washington gets their pick back in 2024, along with the Mavericks’ 2024 pick from the Kristaps Porzingis trade. Washington can look to fully rebuild, while New York decides it’s time to stop playing games and go after an All-NBA talent.
Beal Trade with the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings receive: Bradley Beal, Taj Gibson
Washington Wizards receive: Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter, Davion Mitchell, 2023 #24 pick
Sacramento goes all in and forms a Big Three between Beal, De’Aaron Fox, and Domantas Sabonis. The Kings had the third-best record in the Western Conference in 2023, meaning they aren’t far off from being a real contender. This move, although dealing a key piece in Kevin Huerter, means Sacramento retains offensive support in Malik Monk and Harrison Barnes, as well as solid bigs in Richaun Holmes and Alex Len. Taj Gibson will also be able to compete for the backup big. Overall, it just makes sense for the Kings, as they would trot out of a lineup of Fox, Beal, Barnes, Sabonis, and Holmes.
As for the Wizards, they get young talent in Keegan Murray and Davion Mitchell. Murray and Mitchell are both defensive savants, and Huerter is a 24-year-old sniper. Not to mention, the 2023 #24 adds another young stud to Washington’s roster. For both teams, it works out very nicely.
Jed Katz
Jed Katz is currently a Journalism student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Originally from Bergen County, NJ, Katz was a writer and editor for the Northern Highlands Regional HS newspaper, as well as a sports anchor for the morning show. He's been invested in the game for years, both being a basketball junkie and playing as a 2-year varsity basketball player. Katz produces content surrounding the NBA, NCAA, and premier high school hoops.