The Boston Celtics had a disappointing finish to their 2022-23 season, yet they could start the offseason with some excitement by working a deal for Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal.

Beal has been on the middling Wizards for his entire career, and despite 11 years of never making it past the second round, he signed a massive contract with them last summer. The five-year, $251 million max contract even comes with a no-trade clause. Despite that long-term deal, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Beal could be on the market soon if the Wizards commit to a rebuild.

Since Beal has a no-trade addendum to his massive contract that he can waive, he holds the right to veto any undesirable trade Washington's front office might propose. To put it simply, Beal is in the driver's seat as to where he wants to go.

The sheer amount of money Beal is getting over the next couple of years is intimidating. Yet, if the C's can work out a deal without abandoning some huge assets, a trade could be worth it for a franchise that's been close to a championship for multiple seasons.

Of course, the new CBA could prevent the Celtics from taking on even more bloated contracts and being heavily taxed. But let's still look at a potential trade for Beal that would be perfect for Boston.

Celtics' perfect trade for Bradley Beal

Celtics receive: Bradley Beal

Wizards receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Payton Pritchard, Danilo Gallinari, and the 2025 first-round pick

A normal trade for Beal would typically require star players and multiple first-round picks. Yet, as mentioned before, the Wizards guard has a lot of sway and could decide to veto any trade that would gut his future team.

But to quote NBA insider and Internet meme Brian Windhorst, “Why would they do that?”

Well, for one, Beal has an instant connection to the C's that might entice him to play in Beantown. Like Beal, Celtics star Jayson Tatum is a St. Louis native, and they've known each other for years and developed a mentor-mentee relationship before Tatum was drafted. They've spoken glowingly of one another on multiple occasions and even teamed up while playing in the 2020 Olympics.

Dealing with the money won't be easy, yet we've seen that a friendship between NBA players can be enough motivation to make a team-up work even if it doesn't seem possible (think Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden uniting in Brooklyn).

Now, keeping Tatum and Jaylen Brown in a potential deal for Beal would be difficult, so the C's would probably have to rely on Beal refusing any trade that ships a Boston star away. Plus, they'll need Brown to be on board with delaying an extension for a year and they'll have to offer up some of their depth to the potentially rebuilding Wizards.

Point guard Payton Pritchard already wants out of Boston, which makes him an easy player to send off. Plus, the 25-year-old has shown flashes of real talent that could be developed with more minutes in D.C. Veteran Danilo Gallinari would also probably have to be dealt too, as the Celtics will need to shed contracts somewhere. Gallinari can provide plenty of scoring off the bench, but his injury history and age make his ties to Boston thin.

Additionally, Malcolm Brogdon could be the centerpiece of a possible trade. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is earning a fair amount of money next year (22.5 million) and might be eager for a starting job elsewhere. It wouldn't be ideal for Boston to lose him after just one season, however it must offer someone truly enticing for Washington's front office.

If it's any consolation for the Celtics, Brogdon is still having plenty of injury issues. The 30-year-old has had serious injuries in the past and while he was mostly healthy this season, he suffered a partial tear in his shooting arm that derailed him in the Eastern Conference Finals.

For the cherry on top, the Green Team should part ways with a first-round pick. For any rebuilding squad, draft picks can be the solution (see the Oklahoma City Thunder), so Boston will have to trade at least one to the Wizards. If the Celtics are truly sticking to a win-now mentality, they'll have to focus on roster moves rather than draft capital.

Overall, a trade for Beal won't be simple in the long run, yet with help from him and maybe some recruiting from Tatum, it's not impossible.