The Wizards are closing in on a possible Bradley Beal trade, with the Suns and Heat emerging as the two finalists to land the star shooting guard, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports.
Last week, it was reported that Washington was going to speak with Beal and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, about the 29-year-old’s future within the organization. Beal is entering year two of a five-year, $251 million contract extension, and has a full no-trade clause that allows him full control over where he goes.
According to reports, Beal wants to play for a contender, so the defending Eastern Conference champion Heat and the Suns with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker make sense as landing spots from that standpoint. Miami was already considered a possible destination, but Phoenix is more of a surprise due to their cap commitments in the coming seasons.
Washington drafted Beal with the third pick of the 2012 NBA draft, and in 11 years with the team, he has averaged 22.1 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. However, he hasn’t played in more than 60 games since the 2018–19 season due to injury, which has included appearing in just 90 games over the past two years.
