Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal has soared to the top of available players on the trade market this NBA offseason. News revealed Wednesday that Beal and the Wizards were working together to find a trade for the three-time All-Star, as he holds a no-trade clause.
Rumors of interested teams have emerged. The Miami Heat appears to be the favorite in the Beal sweepstakes. However, a Western Conference contender has emerged with interest in Beal.
According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Sacramento Kings have had trade discussions with the Wizards about Beal. It’s believed Beal would consider waiving his no-trade clause for the Kings. Right now there doesn’t appear to be a clear pathway for both sides.
The Kings won 48 games last season, winning its first Pacific division title since the 2002-03 season under first-year head coach Mike Brown. Sacramento made the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the West, snapping a 16-year playoff drought.
The Kings pushed the 2021-22 NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, to seven games before losing on its home court.
Beal, 29, aligned next to All-NBA guard De’Aaron Fox, would give Sacramento a formidable backcourt. Coincidentally, Fox has gotten compared to John Wall since coming out of Kentucky. Beal played seven seasons with Wall before injuries derailed the five-time All-Star.
Beal averaged 23.2 points per game with a career-high 50.6% shooting from the field in 50 games last season.
The Sacramento Kings would also create a Big Three dynamic with Beal, Fox, and three-time All-Star center Domantas Sabonis, who also became an All-NBA player last season. Adding Beal to the mix would push the Kings further to be contenders.
There appear to be hurdles for a trade between the Kings and Wizards to work that would appease both teams and Beal. Still, the Kings add to the pot of possible suitors for Beal. If anything, that allows the Wizards to gain some of the negotiating power the team loses with Beal’s no-trade clause.
