The Washington Wizards refuse to call in quits on the Bradley Beal era, acquiring a new point guard in the offseason for the third time in three years in an attempt to keep the superstar shooting guard happy in D.C. Spencer Dinwiddie is far younger than Russell Westbrook, but he's not nearly enough of an upgrade to propel the Wizards into serious contender status. Beal has said time and again that he loves Washington, but at this point, no one would blame him if he decided to prioritize winning a championship in his prime over staying loyal to the franchise that drafted him. The Wizards are not going to begin seriously shopping Beal until he formally requests a trade, but it's still worth exploring some potential transactions that would send him to a contending team that he could help put over the top.
1. Two birds, one stone
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Bradley Beal
Washington Wizards receive: Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey, 2022 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick
The Sixers want to upgrade from Simmons, and as a result Simmons wants out of Philly. Washington isn't on his list of trade destinations, but he's under contract until 2025, so he really doesn't have much of a say. Washington would be getting last year's no. 2 finisher in Defensive Player of the Year voting, who's still only 25 years old. Because they won't be a contender like Philly, Washington will be able to experiment with Simmons in order to see exactly what his ceiling can be. They can surround him with shooting (Davis Bertans as a stretch-five is a great fit) and give him the keys to the offense. If he succeeds, great. If he fails, they'll still be getting back two promising young prospects in Thybulle and Maxey in addition to two first-rounders.
For Philly, Beal is everything Simmons isn't—he's an amazing shooter, shot-creator and general halfcourt threat. He'd be a huge upgrade over Simmons as a scorer, and teams wouldn't dare sag off of him to double-team Joel Embiid in the post the way they do Simmons. He'd no-doubt be a downgrade defensively, but he can hold his own at his position. Beal would also have a Defensive Player of the Year candidate behind him protecting the rim should he ever get beaten off the dribble.
Beal would have to step in to a pseudo-point guard role were he to land in Philly, but he's already proven to be an excellent distributor; he averaged over six assists a game in the 2019-20 season before handing the keys to Westbrook last year.
2. Beal, the third splash brother
Golden State Warriors receive: Bradley Beal, Montrezl Harrell
Washington Wizards receive: James Weisman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Andrew Wiggins, 2022 first-round pick
This is essentially the exact package that Sixers GM Daryl Morey reportedly requested from Warriors GM Bob Myers in exchange for Simmons. Myers promptly hung up the phone in response to the demand, and rightfully so. However, Beal might actually be worth it. He'd immediately bring the Warriors back into true contention status, and would fit like a glove in Steve Kerr's system. He'd also be insurance in case Klay Thompson cannot return to All-NBA form after tearing both his ACL and his Achilles the past two years. Thompson can slide up to the small forward position, and if he does make a full comeback, he, Beal and Stephen Curry would form the best shooting trio since, well, Thompson, Curry and Kevin Durant played together.
Harrell would have to be thrown into the deal to make the salaries match, but he'd be a solid center for a team that is extremely low on frontcourt depth.
As for Washington, they'd be receiving three lottery picks from the last two drafts in Weisman, Kuminga and Moody. One of them is bound to turn into an impactful player, but if none of them do, they'll at least be able to say they got a first-round pick out of the deal. Wiggins is also in the trade to match money, but he could turn out to be valuable as a $33 million expiring contract next season. With Washington in rebuilding mode, they could send Wiggins to another team in exchange for a longer-term bad contract and draft compensation (the Oklahoma City Thunder's current strategy).
3. A cold-hearted Denver swap
Denver Nuggets receive: Bradley Beal
Washington Wizards receive: Jamal Murray
This would be a bit cruel on Denver's side. Sending Murray, who tore his ACL back in April just prior to a postseason in which the Nuggets could've contended for a title, would be a rough way to repay him after what he's done for the franchise. Still, it's probably the best basketball decision. Murray is likely going to miss a large chunk of the 2021-22 season, and Nikola Jokic is at his absolute apex. If the Nuggets acquired Beal, they wouldn't have to waste a year of their MVP's prime. Not to mention that regardless of Murray's ceiling, Beal is no-doubt the better player right now. Still, it's a bit of a risk for Denver considering Beal is slightly older and on a shorter contract than Murray.
The Wizards could rest easy knowing they got back another franchise cornerstone in exchange for Beal. Murray is only 24, and has proven he can at least be the no. 2 option on a contender. Washington could tank for a better draft pick this season while Murray takes his time recovering, and they could hit the ground running on a rebuild starting in 2022.
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