The Boston Celtics are reportedly among a trio of teams that could target Bradley Beal.
The veteran scorer is currently a free agent, having declined his $5.6 million player option with the LA Clippers. According to Jake Fischer, speaking via a livestream on Bleacher Report, he’s been advised not to rule out Boston as a landing spot for the three-time All-Star.
“Bradley Beal has got several options,” Fischer said. “I was told today that Beal’s decision is not exactly being held up by LeBron, but it is being impacted by it. Because I do think there’s some Miami interest there. I wouldn’t rule out Boston for Beal because of the connection with Jayson Tatum. I even asked about that today, and I was not told to rule out Boston, so there you go.”
Beal played six games for the Clippers last season as he recovered from injury. When healthy, he’s a valuable scorer and playmaker at the two-guard position. His friendship with Tatum would undoubtedly play a role in bringing him to Boston, too.
Furthermore, if healthy, Beal’s addition would help fill some of the scoring Boston lost when they traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this month. Nevertheless, adding Beal would give the Celtics two veteran talents with injury concerns. It would be interesting to see how the Celtics navigate that throughout the season.
Celtics Have An Open Roster Spot
Acquiring Beal off the free agency market would be straightforward for the Celtics. They currently have an open roster spot available. However, signing Beal would put Boston back into the tax, as they’re currently $1.7 million below the tax line.
Therefore, Brad Stevens would need to make another move between now and the trade deadline to help get Boston back under the tax line, so that the franchise can reset the repeater tax.
Still, it’s rare that a team has an opportunity to add a former All-Star talent on what would likely be a veteran minimum deal. If the opportunity to sign Beal does arise, and both sides are open to it, then Boston would be smart to explore things further.
Celtics Could Trade Sam Hauser To Shed Salary
If the Celtics did acquire Beal, Sam Hauser would be the player most likely to be traded at some point this season. Hauser, 28, has three years remaining on his $45 million deal. However, Boston will likely feel confident that Baylor Scheierman can plug any gap Hauser’s absence creates.
Therefore, Stevens could offer Hauser via trade. He will know that there will be a market for one of the best perimeter scorers in the NBA. Assuming the Celtics didn’t take as much salary back, they should be able to get back under the tax line. As such, there’s certainly a path to both adding Beal and resetting the repeater tax this season.
Whether Boston has genuine interest in adding the veteran scorer will remain to be seen. After all, Stevens is aiming for the Celtics to get younger and more dynamic.
Still, Beal, when healthy, is a solid scoring option, and that may be too good an opportunity for the Celtics’ front office to pass up.
Celtics Named Among 3 Teams Likely To Target Bradley Beal