Reports: Wizards’ new front office, Bradley Beal’s agent to work together on possible trades

The minute the highly-respected Michael Winger was hired to head all basketball operations for the Washington Wizards, there was a buzz around the league about what that would mean for Washington’s roster. Hiring Will Dawkins and Travis Schlenk in other front office roles only added to the sense that big changes were coming (and owner Ted Leonsis was good with it, the other significant change for Washington).

Any major Wizards roster retooling must start with a Bradley Beal trade. The 29-year-old three-time All-Star — still owed $207.7 million over the next four years and with a no-trade clause in his contract — is on a win-now timeline and if the Wizards are retooling he should be on the move.

This brings us to reports the Wizards and Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein are talking about the franchise’s future and coordinating plans, according to a couple of reports that came out Wednesday. First is Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who phrased it this way:

...Team president Michael Winger and Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, are staying in close contact to discuss scenarios presented to the franchise, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

Here is how Charania put it at The Athletic:

It is unclear whether the Wizards will ultimately decide upon a rebuild or if they find an acceptable trade, but sources said both sides are working amicably to find the path forward, with the 2023 NBA Draft looming on June 22. The sources, who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter, said the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks are expected to be prominent suitors for Beal if he reaches the market.

The fact the agent and front office are talking and, in practice, coordinating suggests a trade is coming, probably sooner rather than later. Beal will only want to go to a contender, which is why Miami and Milwaukee make sense. The Bucks are about to get old and expensive and Beal would be younger than Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. The Heat’s need for more shot creation was on display in the NBA Finals, and we know they are going star hunting. Other teams will call — Dallas wants a star next to Luka Dončić — but Beal controls the market with his no-trade clause. He is not going anywhere he doesn’t want to go.

Don’t expect a Rudy Gobert/Donovan Mitchell-sized trade package headed back to Washington. The fact Beal is owed a lot of money, has a lengthy injury history, and some around the NBA question if he is a guy you can win with, all will keep the market for him relatively soft. Washington will get picks and players back, but not of the volume and quality they may hope.

That said, for the first time in years, it sounds as if there is real fire behind the Bradley Beal trade rumors. Washington wants to rebuild, and Beal wants to contend.