Getty Images Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards swingman, Bradley Beal is a hot commodity in the NBA these days.
A first time NBA All Star last season, Beal is averaging 21 points this season and has been rumored in trade talks ranging from teams ranging from the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
Drafted third by the Wizards in the 2012 NBA Draft, Beal played his collegiate career at the University of Florida under head coach, Billy Donovan.
“I watched Bradley Beal in college against us in Kentucky,” NBA legend and former Kentucky assistant coach, Rod Strickland told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“I used to sit on the bench and watch him warm up, and I said: ‘man, this kid’s got the golden stroke.’ And in the game, he was missing.”
Beal finished the season averaging 14.8 points per game. He also helped his team advance to the Elite Eight during the NCAA tournament before being ousted by Louisville. “That season in college, his last year, he didn’t really shoot the ball well,” recounted Strickland.
“But he had a stroke and I kept saying that. And then he goes to the NBA and he hits everything. Sometimes college is harder than you think, because teams can focus on you, they can run schemes and all that.”
Currently, Beal is denying multiple reports that he wants to be traded.
“That’s nonsense,” said Beal.
Bradley Beal sets the record straight about the rumors he wants out of Washington.
🎙: @3DTV
“I heard it earlier before the game and I was like if it ain’t come from the horse’s mouth, it wasn’t me. I got this Washington jersey on, I come out and work everyday until otherwise. This is where I want to be.”
A recent report revealed that the Wizards are open to dealing both Beal and John Wall, though Beal is drawing much more interest in potential trade talks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“I think the Bradley Beal situation we’ll monitor,” Wojnarowski said on a recent episode of the Woj Pod. “There’s very few teams who wouldn’t be interested in Bradley Beal. The contract. The player. The age. 25 years old. His skill set. Shooting threes. I know Washington has fielded a lot of calls since last week.
“John Wall is a very different situation. You can count on one hand, and probably with just a couple of fingers places that really might have interest in taking his contract on and what it all means to bring him in… I would never say there’s no market for John Wall, but I think Bradley Beal has a much broader market. But if Washington was going to do something, they would have to get every last asset they could for Bradley Beal.”