Should the Celtics jump into the Bradley Beal sweepstakes?
BOSTON -- Though it's been a few years since they took up space in the headlines, it's hard to forget all those trade rumors and fantasies surrounding Bradly Beal and the Boston Celtics. It looks like they may make a bit of a comeback this summer.
Beal wants out of Washington, just one year into his supermax contract. The Wizards would probably like to jettison his massive deal and start a rebuild, and are reportedly going to work with the 3-time All-Star to find him a new home.
Naturally, the Celtics are going be mentioned whether they're in on Beal or not. He is buddies with Jayson Tatum because of their St. Louis ties, and has expressed interest in playing with the C's star in the past.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst threw some water on the Celtics/Beal flames on Wednesday, saying the Celtics are focused on locking Jaylen Brown into his own supermax contract. Carrying Tatum, Brown, and Beal (who is due over $200 million over the next four years) on gigantic contracts likely isn't feasible in the long-term with the NBA's new CBA about to begin. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that as well on Thursday.
The question is, should the Celtics be involved in the Beal sweepstakes? Windhorst followed up Thursday that the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks -- Boston's chief competition in the East -- are the frontrunners to land the 30-year-old this summer. Others have added that the price tag to acquire Beal (not his actual price tag on the books) will be fairly low. He had a no-trade clause, so the Wizards don't really have much leverage in this situation. He can dictate where he goes, and in turn, help the acquiring team negotiate a lesser trade package in return.
Beal going to Miami or Milwaukee would make those Boston foes stronger. If the asking price for the guard is going to be as low as many anticipate, the Celtics should at least try to make it a little more expensive for their competition by getting involved.
But could Beal be a short-term, win-now move for the Celtics? Potentially.
Brad Stevens reportedly reached out to Washington about Beal's availability shortly after he took over for Danny Ainge a few years ago. While the president of basketball ops. hinted at just making some moves around the edges after the Celtics came up short in the playoffs, a Beal acquisition could help get the team to the top for a few years -- so long as it doesn't cost Jaylen Brown. A Tatum-Brown-Beal trio would be a pretty ferocious grouping on the offensive end.
Beal has dealt with injuries over the last two seasons, which has cost him over 70 games. He hasn't been the same scorer since he was the league's second-leading scorer in 2020-21, averaging 31.3 points per game, but he is still completely capable of creating his own shot off the dribble. He'd make life a lot easier on Tatum and Brown, assuming they could all share the court together in beautiful harmony.
If Washington is in full fire-sale mode and wants expiring contracts and draft picks, it's worth it for the Celtics to explore a deal. Malcolm Brogdon or Marcus Smart, potentially one of the Williams boys (Grant and/or Robert), some more filler, and a handful of draft picks could maybe get it done, depending on the Wizards' intentions for the future. (On a side note, just imagine Washington fans having to root for Marcus after years of fiery hatred toward the guard.)
Trading for Beal and adding him to Tatum and Brown would really only work for a few years. Brown's supermax (assuming he gets it) wouldn't kick in until the 2024-25 season and Tatum's (assuming he gets it) wouldn't kick in until the following year. The Celtics would have to deal one of that trio before their homegrown stars start to earn the big (BIG) bucks. It would make their title odds better in the short-term, but create a lot of uncertainty a few years from now.
But if the price is right, it's worth the Celtics exploring a Beal trade. The asking price may surprise them, and acquiring the extremely gifted scoring guard could get them to a place the Celtics haven't been in 15 years.
