NEWSLETTER
NO TIME TO WASTE. TOO MANY NBA RUMORS! DRAFT IN T-MINUS SIX DAYS.
GO! GO! GO!
Bradley Beal Sweepstakes
The Washington Wizards could be on the brink of a full-blown rebuild. News broke earlier this week that new president Michael Winger could work with max player Bradley Beal on finding him a new home. Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes even shared on Friday afternoon that Beal has been granted permission from the Wizards to speak with teams he’d be interested in joining. After all, the 29-year-old is the only active player with a no-trade clause, which means he has the final say on where the organization can trade him.
Beal is reportedly expected to speak with both the Heat and Bucks, per Haynes. Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer noted this week that Miami has long been attached to Beal. We also know – thanks to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst – the Heat fully intend on going “star-hunting” this offseason as they continue to try to capitalize on strong play from Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. As for Milwaukee, it’s unclear if they’d really make that big of a splash, as it would undoubtedly require them to move on from either Jrue Holiday or (more likely) Khris Middleton.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania also threw the Sacramento Kings into the mix for Beal. Apparently, there could be mutual interest between the two parties, as Sacramento just cracked the postseason for the first time in 16 years and brought the Golden State Warriors to seven games.
Considering Beal’s massive contract, the expectation is that he should come cheaper than other recent All-Star-level talent who has hit the trade market. I’d also watch for other teams to potentially swoop in with younger and more affordable talent. For example, a recent rumor states that the Bulls have called teams about a possible Zach LaVine trade. While he would cost more than Beal to acquire, who is to say a franchise wouldn’t be prepared to give up more assets for LaVine’s cheaper deal? Not to mention, roughly two years younger, LaVine has also been the better player over the past couple of seasons.
For more on that discussion, check out our post here:
Pelicans Drama
Earlier this week news dropped that the New Orleans Pelicans will “aggressively” pursue a top-3 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The organization reportedly has its sights set on point guard Scoot Henderson, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
To trade with either the Hornets (No. 2) or Trail Blazers (No. 3) the expectation is that it would cost a high-end, All-Star-caliber player. With that being the case, eyes immediately turned to both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. However, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports mentioned that New Orleans has shown very little desire to part with Ingram. This leaves Williamson, whose sketchy health history is noteworthy.
Long-time NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote on his Substack that one source told him the Pelicans “would indeed consider dealing” Williamson for a move up the draft board. Easily one of the most efficient and dominant players when he is healthy, there is no question that moving the former No. 1-overall pick would be quite the gamble. But it also might be that much easier to swallow knowing that you’re getting another highly-touted prospect in return with Henderson. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
Lottery Teams Open for Business
Anything can happen on draft night … and that feels even more true this season.
A handful of teams within the top 10 are seemingly willing to trade their picks for win-now veterans, and we wrote a little bit more about that here:
The Pacers, in particular, are a team to keep a close eye on. They own the No. 7, No. 26, and No. 29 picks in this upcoming draft. Not only could they package the two later picks for some vets to put around budding star Tyrese Haliburton, but it appears they could part ways with the No. 7 selection for an even higher-caliber talent.
Indeed, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that Indiana has spoken with teams about that lottery pick. They are looking for an upgrade at the wing position.
The Dallas Mavericks also might be trying to get frisky with under a week to go until the big night. Here’s what Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had to say about the team’s intentions: “Not many sources around the league currently believe this pick will stay put in Dallas. The Mavs seem to be exploring several different options, from trading down in the draft to trading out and acquiring a player who can help now.”
Fortunately for the Mavs, there could be a handful of teams looking to trade up. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony mentioned the Warriors and Nets as potential teams who could look for a move on draft night. The Warriors might be willing to throw Jonathan Kuminga into discussion apparently, while the Nets have two picks in the 20s to dangle in front of a lottery team.
Boston Making Moves?
Brian Robb of MassLive had a handful of Celtics nuggets to share. The franchise is reportedly looking to move a guard due to a logjam at the position, and youngster Payton Pritchard has become a prime candidate in recent months.
Likewise, the organization is reportedly thinking about cutting salary with a potential enormous payday coming for co-star Jaylen Brown. Grant Williams is a restricted free agent and might be a prime candidate to get pulled away by another team with cap space. Robb mentioned the Pacers as an organization that could express interest.
