Nets: Why a Bradley Beal Would and Wouldn’t Make Sense

With so much money already committed to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, would it be wise for the Brooklyn Nets to trade for Bradley Beal?

First reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, the Brooklyn Nets have recently had internal discussions about potentially acquiring Washington Wizards star shooting guard, Bradley Beal.

Before the NBA hit pause on the 2019-2020 season, Beal was averaging a career-high 30.5 points and 6.1 assists in 36 minutes per game with .455/.353/.842 shooting splits. Voters and NBA coaches snubbed Beal from what would’ve been his third consecutive All-Star appearance due to the Wizards’ poor record, despite his stellar performance.

Beal has publicly expressed his desire to remain a member of the Wizards franchise until he decides to retire. The two-time All-Star has proven he can be a leader and playmaker with no real supporting cast in the absence of John Wall, who missed all of 2020 and most of the 2019 season with multiple lower leg injuries.

The Wizards rewarded Beal for his growth and loyalty this past October, with a two-year $72 million contract despite still having two years left on the five-year deal he signed in 2017. This move by the front office essentially means they plan on keeping him around long term, so why would the Nets think they have a viable chance of acquiring him?

The answer to that is simple; just cause a team has a player under contract for x amount of years doesn’t mean that the player is untouchable in trade talks. If there is anything to learn from The Last Dance docuseries, organizations are loyal to themselves and no one else, no matter the amount of star power a player may have.

For the sake of argument, let’s say that Beal is no longer committed to staying in D.C. for the entirety of his career, and the Wizards are willing to part ways for a reasonable return, should the Brooklyn Nets pursue a trade?