The New York Knicks would land Washington Wizards‘ Bradley Beal without giving up their top-three players in a hypothetical trade proposal suggested by ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks on the June 14 episode of the NBA Today.
Marks’ proposed Knicks package for Beal consists of Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose‘s expiring salary (team option has to be picked up), Mitchell Robinson, a top-14 protected first-round pick in 2025. In addition, the Knicks also would send back the Wizards’ 2024 first-round pick, which they received from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Ousmane Dieng in last year’s draft.
The Knicks would end up with a top-heavy roster led by Jalen Brunson and Beal at the backcourt, RJ Barrett at the wing and Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein presumably taking over Mitchell’s spot at the starting frontcourt. But they would still have bench depth with Sixth Man of the Year finalist Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart and Obi Toppin.
On paper, Beal alone is a tremendous upgrade for the Knicks, who came within two wins from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.
Beal is the next star that could become available, as multiple reports surfaced on Wednesday indicating he and the Wizards’ new front office would work closely on sending him to a contender should his team pivot to rebuilding.
Beal has a no-trade clause, which means he has control over where he lands next. He is coming off an injury-plagued first year of his five-year, $251 million supermax deal, playing only 50 games. Still, he averaged 23.2 points and 5.4 assists while shooting a career-high 50.6% from the field and 36.5% from deep this past season.
Heat Floated as a Prominent Suitor for Bradley Beal
The Athletic reported that the Miami Heat is expected to be a prominent suitor for Beal should he hit the trade market.
Marks also proposed a hypothetical trade between the Heat and the Wizards with Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, along with a 2028 top-10 protected pick for Beal.
Miami beat New York, 4-2, in the Eastern Conference semifinals on its way to becoming just the second eight-seed to reach the NBA Finals since the Knicks in 1999. Miami fell, 4-1, to eventual champion Denver Nuggets.
Bradley Beal could be ‘Bargain Star Trade’
Beal could be had cheaper than recent star trades, according to ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst.
“If the Wizards and Bradley Beal come to a decision that he should be traded because they’re going to start a rebuild, I think people would be stunned at what the price could be,” Windhorst said on Get Up on Wednesday.
“And I don’t mean high, I mean low in the wake of the Rudy Gobert [trade] and what we saw Donovan Mitchell went for with what [Beal] got left on his contract and the fact that he controls the trade, you could potentially see a quote-unquote bargain star trade here, which is why you have some teams sniffing around this to see what the Wizards and then Beal decide to do,” Windhorst added.
Beal has four years left on his supermax deal, but Windhorst noted that the team that trades for him would inherit his no-trade clause.
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Proposed Trade Lands Knicks Bradley Beal