Is Bradley Beal destined to end up with the Boston Celtics?
The Washington Wizards star has been linked to the C's for the last couple of years, largely due to his lifelong friendship with fellow St. Louis native Jayson Tatum. He's reportedly expected to decline his $36.4 million player option for the 2022-23 NBA season and enter unrestricted free agency.
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While the hefty price tag makes it unlikely the Celtics would acquire Beal this offseason, we shouldn't rule out the possibility of Beal and Tatum teaming up in the not-so-distant future. Stadium's Jeff Goodman explained Wednesday why he expects Beal to leave Washington within the next year and make a trade to Boston a reality.
"I do think he forces his way out," Goodman said on Early Edition. "I think he's tired of it. They got off to a good start this year, I think they were like 10-3 or something like that, and then they came down to earth.
"I know (Wizards president) Tommy Sheppard got his buddy Kentavious Caldwell-Pope over there in Washington which kind of made Beal happy, but again, I think a year from now he and his agent (Mark) Bartelstein say they want to be somewhere else, and then Boston goes to top of the list. Then it comes down to what happens this season, and can Brad Stevens give enough for Tommy Sheppard to make that deal."
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Even if Beal declines his player option, he's eligible to sign a new five-year, $247.6 million contract with the Wizards. That's $64 million more than other team can offer. A sign-and-trade is a possibility for the Celtics, but that would take some serious salary cap gymnastics, as explained by former NBA general manager Ryan McDonough.
You can watch the full segment with Goodman in the video below: