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Amid the possibility that Damian Lillard could ask for a trade away from the Portland Trail Blazers, the Washington Wizards are reportedly trying to move quickly in their negotiations to trade Bradley Beal.
The Wizards are in “serious” talks with the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns for a Beal trade, and apparently, they want to get something done real soon in fear that Lillard's availability could steal the attention of their suitors.
As reported earlier, in the event that Lillard demands a trade from the Blazers, the Heat could shift their focus on him instead of Beal. Miami and Dame Time have a mutual interest in partnering together, and that's bad news for the Wizards who are looking to get plenty of picks and other assets to start a semi-rebuild. Losing one of their two primary suitors means Washington won't have a ton of leverage in negotiating a deal for Beal.
“Why are talks moving quickly? Because of a fear from the Wizards that Beal might not be the best available player in a couple of weeks, and the Heat in particular might look elsewhere,” Kurt Helin of NBC Sports wrote.
Of course it's unknown whether or not the Blazers will trade Damian Lillard. As things currently stand, Portland is still determined to create a championship contender around Dame, which is why they are rumored to be aiming to trade the third pick of the 2023 NBA Draft and Anfernee Simons in exchange for a proven star that can help them.
For the Wizards, however, they can't afford to wait and see what the Blazers do since it could be problematic for them. With that said, don't be surprised if Washington moves Bradley Beal sooner rather than later.
