Knicks’ Arch-Rival Looms as Bradley Beal’s Prominent Suitor: Report

Getty Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards looks to move with the ball as Quentin Grimes #6 of the New York Knicks defends.

After the New York Knicks lose to eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, they are likely to slug it out again this summer for Washington Wizards‘ star Bradley Beal.

According to multiple reports on Wednesday, the Wizards and Beal would work closely in finding their three-time All-Star a new home should they pivot to rebuilding.

The Athletic floated the Heat as a prominent suitor for Beal should he hit the trade market. ESPN reported that any potential Beal trade conversations would include his agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports.

Alan Hahn, MSG Network’s studio and game analyst and ESPN commentator, views the draft asset-rich Knicks as the perfect trade partner for the Wizards.

“There’s a team in the east that could use this player, and actually, they’ve been linked to him in the past. It’s the Knicks,” Hahn said on Get Up on Tuesday. “Put Beal next to Jalen Brunson, and you’ve got a backcourt that’s one of the best in the league as far as scoring goes — very unstoppable. And he is at a point in his career where he’s trying to be about winning. So, the Knicks have all the things that the Wizards would need — young players and draft picks.”

“I would imagine if he does become available, you would see the Knicks be very aggressive in trying to get him,” he added.

The Knicks’ interest in Bradley Beal can be traced back as early as 2021 when Michael Kay reported that William Wesley was trying to steer him to New York through back channels.

“The Knicks have World Wide Wes on their side,” Kay said in February 2021. “And he’s been in the ear of some of Beal’s people, and he’s kind of nudging them that this might be a time to push for a trade.”

Insider Says Bradley Beal Could Be a ‘Bargain Star Trade’

According to ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst, Beal could be cheaper than recent star trades.

“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.

Gobert and Mitchell were swapped for at least three unprotected picks and two pick swaps on top of young players.

Kristaps Porzingis Likely to Opt In

Former Knicks lottery pick Kristaps Porzingis will likely pick up his player option and delay his free agency to next year, according to Spotrac’s salary cap guru Keith Smith.

“Something that is picking up more and more buzz: Kristaps Porzingis opting in for $36M with Washington next season. Under the old front office, the assumption was Porzingis would opt out and re-sign on a long-term deal with [the] Wizards. He may take the money now and hit FA in 2024,” Smith tweeted on Wednesday.

Porzingis has until June 29 to exercise or decline his player option.