Bradley Beal finally seems on his way out of the nation's capital. As the Washington Wizards mull trade negotiations for the three-time All-Star, is there a chance the Golden State Warriors get involved? Beal's past reported interest in joining the Dubs certainly adds some intrigue to that long-shot possibility.

Assessing Beal's potential destinations this summer, Fred Katz of The Athletic notes that he had eyes for the Bay Area after being lobbied about the virtues of playing for a contender by USA Basketball teammate Draymond Green.

“The Golden State Warriors appealed to him in the past, according to sources. Throughout his short stint with Team USA in 2021, Draymond Green made sure to remind him (you may be surprised, more than once) of what joining a many-times champion could do for him.”

Beal occupies a unique place in trade discussions that seem inevitable after multiple reports indicated Washington's new front office has the autonomy to commence a full-scale rebuild. He signed a five-year, $251 million contract extension with the Wizards last summer that contains a no-trade clause willingly afforded him by owner Ted Leonsis.

Though Beal's desires loom much, much larger than those of other stars who've been put on the trade block in recent years, it would still be very difficult for the 29-year-old to find his way to San Francisco.

The Warriors would be approximately $11 million above the $179.5 million second luxury-tax apron next season only accounting for Beal, Stephen Curry, Green, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. It appears more likely than ever Golden State won't make a cost-cutting trade this offseason just to lower Joe Lacob's mammoth tax payout, but adding Beal's $46.7 million salary to the most expensive veteran core in basketball nevertheless seems untenable.

Would the Dubs even be interested in swapping Jordan Poole, Gary Payton II and Moses Moody for Beal anyway? He'll be making over $50 million from 2024-25 to 2026-27, neutering Golden State's ability to re-make the roster around an aging Curry when the front office could otherwise have ample spending flexibility.

Beal had an underrated 2022-23 season, shooting a career-best on twos and bouncing back to above league-average accuracy from deep, but his days as the best player on a great team—if that prospect ever really existed—are long gone. Even in a vacuum of no financial consequences, pairing Curry with another defense-averse guard on the wrong side of 30 surely doesn't maximize the Warriors' long-term championship window.

Maybe Beal really would like to play in Golden State. Barring Thompson's inclusion as a trade centerpiece and major shift in the Dubs' long-held team-building philosophy, though, trade winds seem bound to send Beal elsewhere ahead of 2023-24.