With reports saying that the Charlotte Hornets are “hellbent” on keeping Kemba Walker for the years to come, what better way to convince him to stay than by acquiring another All-Star? Rumors are circulating that Charlotte has already inquired about the availability of Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal.
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reported on this interesting development:
The Charlotte Hornets have inquired with the Washington Wizards about the possibility of acquiring shooting guard Bradley Beal, an informed source confirmed Tuesday.
The source didn’t identify what the Hornets have offered for Beal, a 6-foot-5 guard averaging 21.5 points this season, or whether any progress has been made toward a deal.
Of course, the Wizards have recently made it clear that they are willing to listen to offers for their backcourt duo of Beal and John Wall. Their paltry 5-11 record early this season is an indication that their current roster won't do any good for them in the long run.
It's intriguing to see how this turns out as there's no doubt many teams will be offering deals for Beal. He's owed about $81 million total over the final three years of his contract, including this season, a deal that NBA teams see as a bargain for the all-around skills of the combo guard.
If the Hornets are adamant to push this through, they may have to let go of small forward Nicolas Batum. Batum has a contract similar to Beal's, making him a valuable asset for the trade. In his four-year stint in Charlotte, Batum hasn't blossomed into the franchise player the team expected him to be when they traded for him in 2015.
However, Batum is already 29 years old, and it's safe to assume the Wizards would want a young player brimming with potential to be part of the package, which could mean parting ways with somebody like Malik Monk or Miles Bridges.
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