Bradley Beal trade odds: Heat, 76ers, Knicks favored to land NBA All-Star guard with Wizards now potentially open to trade

Let the NBA offseason begin! With the Finals now in the rearview mirror, transactions big and small should start happening en masse soon. Free agency begins in a few weeks, but Washington Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal is under a long-term contract and only available via trade -- and could be an attractive option for teams in need of scoring. It now appears the Wizards are contemplating a potential trade. SportsLine offers odds on Beal's next team.

Shams Charania reported today that Beal and the Wizards are expected to work together on a trades should team officials elect to reset the roster. The team is under new management with a new president in Michael Winger and a new general manager in Will Dawkins.

"I would be extremely surprised if we're one of those bottom out [tanking] type of teams. It's just not in my DNA, it's not in Will's DNA, it's not in [coach Wes Unseld's] DNA," Winger said this week, for what that's worth. No team flat-out admits it will tank these days. Executives around the league believe that the Wizards are close to rebuilding.

One has to respect Beal for staying loyal to the franchise that drafted him No. 3 overall in 2012 out of the University of Florida. Last summer, he could have forced a trade but signed a five-year, $251 million max deal. When that contract was signed, Tommy Sheppard was the Wizards' president and general manager. He's since been fired.

Beal has become one of the best players in team history, but if he wants to win a title while still in his relative prime at age 32, he'll have to ask for a trade. Washington is nowhere near title contention and has endured five straight losing seasons. Beal has never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs in his 11-year career. The team is stuck in the worst possible spot: Mediocrity. Washington hasn't been good enough to make the playoffs, but not bad enough to land the No. 1 overall pick. The Wizards will pick at No. 8 in the NBA Draft later this month.

Last season, Beal shot a career-best .506 from the floor while averaging 23.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds. He was one of only two guards in the NBA to shoot at least .500 from the field and .350 from 3-point range (minimum 550 field goal attempts). Beal also became the second player in franchise history to reach 15,000 total points, joining Elvin Hayes (15,551). Beal has 15,391, so he'll pass Hayes pretty early in the 2023-24 regular season if he's still with the team.

Note that Beal does have a no-trade clause and his contract includes a 15% trade bonus. That will not stop any clubs from inquiring. The Miami Heat have to be at the top of this list because they clearly were short of offensive firepower in the five-game NBA Finals loss to Denver, and their window is closing around Jimmy Butler. Tyler Herro would likely be involved in any trade to make salaries work. He missed nearly the entirety of the playoffs because of an injured hand.

The 76ers will have a gaping hole in the backcourt if James Harden leaves in free agency for Houston, which is a definite possibility. The Ringer's Bill Simmons mentioned he thinks Philly is the odds-on favorite to get Beal. Tobias Harris would be a key piece in the deal with draft picks, as Tyrese Maxey apparently is untouchable. Joel Embiid did campaign to get Beal before the acquisition of Harden.

The Knicks have boatloads of future first-round picks and some intriguing young players led by Immanuel Quickley who might interest the Wizards. Quickley, Mitchell Robinson and Evan Fournier plus draft picks works for Beal.

The Lakers and Wizards made a trade in January with Washington sending forward Rui Hachimura to Los Angeles in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks (in 2023, 2028 and 2029). The Lakers have long pursued Beal, but do they have enough left for a trade? They could require a third team to be involved in the transaction to make things work.

Golden State will likely do something this offseason to try and extend the dynasty at least one more season. Could the Wizards want Jordan Poole? I'm not sure Boston can afford Beal while paying both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but if Brown absolutely wants out and is ready to leave as a free agent next summer, the Celtics could trade him.

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Where will Bradley Beal play if he's traded by Washington?

• Heat +300
• 76ers +400
• Knicks +500
• Lakers +700
• Warriors +800
• Celtics +1100
• Pelicans +1200
• Bulls +1500

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